In the middle east you have many of the same issues you had with African states after colonialism. They are made up of a bunch of different tribal groups who often aren't on good terms. Long history of exploitation and conflict over resources.

Typically for Arab countries if you great grandfather wasn't living there in the 1920's you're not a citizen and that is that.

The worst of it is Palestinians have been used as pawns by outsiders with no actual interest in their welfare. By Arab countries in their pissiness about state not run by Muslims. And the Soviets in their conflict with the US and western Europe.

First of all, "neighbouring countries" have taken many Palestinians, and many have taken immigrants/refugees from Gaza also.

But there's a frequent suggestion that it somehow reflects poorly on the Palestinian people that the other countries which are so quick to criticize Israel aren't taking them, and I think this insidious statement is rooted in anti-Palestinian racism, almost a reversal of victim and offender type of thing.

In fact, the rhetoric used about Palestinians sounds eerily similar to the way Jews were talked about during the Holocaust. I quote to you from Hitler's 1939 Reichstag speech:

> But there is one thing that every one should realize: These attempts cannot influence Germany in the slightest as to the way in which she settles her Jewish problem. On the contrary, in connection with the Jewish question I have this to say: It is a shameful spectacle to see how the whole democratic world is oozing sympathy for the poor tormented Jewish people, but remains hardhearted and obdurate when it comes to helping them, which is surely, in view of its attitude, an obvious duty

> The arguments that are brought up as an excuse for not helping them actually, speak for us Germans and Italians, for this is what they say:

> 1) We, that is the democracies, are not in a position to take in the Jews; yet in these empires there are not even ten people to the square kilometre, while Germany, with her 135 inhabitants to the square kilometre, is supposed to have room for them.

> 2) They assure us: we cannot take them unless Germany is prepared to allow them a certain amount of capital to bring with them as immigrants.