Israel, the Jewish diaspora, and the Palestinian refugee issue: a mixed relationship

This paper explores how powerful diaspora individuals become involved in homeland affairs and the resulting struggles over agency and influence between diaspora and homeland actors. To this end, we analyze plans advanced by Jewish diaspora individuals to resolve the Palestinian Refugee Problem in the wake of the 1967 War and Israel’s reactions to these plans. On the one hand, Israeli officials were interested in the diaspora entrepreneurs’ resources, were careful not to antagonize them, and were willing to hear their suggestions. On the other hand, they generally opposed the diaspora’s involvement in a sensitive political issue such as the Refugee Problem. Israel’s reluctance led to a complex dynamic, in which Israel and the diaspora entrepreneurs negotiated the extent and nature of diasporic action.