Documents
PUBLIC STATEMENT ISSUED BY PALESTINIAN POPULAR
INSTITUTIONS, ORGANIZATIONS AND UNIONS
On October 17, 2001, the New York Times newspaper published an
article on a lecture given by Dr. Sari Nusseibeh at Jerusalem's
Hebrew University on October 15. In that article, Dr. Nusseibeh is
said to have "criticized the Palestinian uprising as hopelessly
mired in bloodshed and argued that a peace agreement incorporating
a Palestinian state could only be reached if the Palestinians
abandoned a longstanding demand for the return of refugees
dislocated in war more than 50 years ago to their former homes in
Israel." "The Palestinians have to realize," the article quotes Dr.
Nusseibeh as saying, "that if we are to reach an agreement on two
states, then those two states will have to be one for the Israelis
and one for the Palestinians, not one for the Palestinians and the
other also for the Palestinians" (Source: Joel Greenberg,
"Palestinian Offers Idea: Get Israelis On Our Side", The New York
Times, October 17, 2001). Dr. Nusseibeh has also made those
statements to a number of media outlets, including Al-Jazeera TV,
and to Israel's Channel One Television, on November 7,
2001.
Based on the above mentioned article, and on other statements
made by Dr. Nusseibeh to various Western, Israeli and Arab media -
statements which are much more loaded than the above-mentioned
quote, and are against the Intifada, and ridicule the Palestinian
mentality, and marginalize the legitimate rights of the Palestinian
people - we as popular refugee institutions, unions and
organizations would like to stress the following:
First: Dr. Nusseibeh represents only himself. We deem
his speech at the Hebrew University, and his subsequent statements
in general as a flagrant violation of our national rights,
particularly of our brave Intifada, and of our right of return to
our homes from which we were forcibly displaced by Zionist
terrorism. Our right of return can neither be abrogated nor
cancelled by Dr. Nusseibeh and the like.
Second: Mr. Nusseibeh's call for the establishment of
two ethnic states contradicts the right of every individual refugee
to return to his/her homeland. It also goes in contradiction with
the struggle of our people inside the Green Line who bitterly
suffer every day and every moment from ethnic racism practiced
against them. It is worth reminding Dr. Nusseibeh and others that
there are 1.3 million Palestinian citizens inside "Israel," among
them some 250,000 internally displaced who live as refugees in
their homeland, often a very short distance from their original
homes and properties. These refugees are denied the right to return
to their homes and lands by the ethnic racist state, and they are
prevented from practicing their natural right to live on their
properties and reap their fruits. This is their fate solely because
they are Palestinians. Does Nusseibeh therefore advocate the
establishment of an ethnically pure and racist Jewish Zionist
state, as do the extreme racist Zionists?
Third: There are international resolutions and laws,
and there are human rights laws that guarantee the refugees' right
to return to their homes, irrespective of who holds the power or
has the authority. Do we surrender our individual and collective
rights to an abhorrent ethnic excuse and to the law of the jungle!?
What is it that Dr. Nusseibeh wants us to "realize!?" We fully
understand that no people in the world except our own has had to
accept an unjust UN resolution like Resolution 181 (UN Partition
Plan for Palestine), which was a violation of international law, as
well as consequent UN resolutions, such as 194, 242, in order to
establish their state on the remaining part of Palestine, and for
the return of the refugees to their homes. We as a people, along
with our leadership, fully understand that the rights of refugees
are guaranteed in resolution 194, specifically in its explicit text
on their right to return to their homes, and to practice the
freedom of choice.
Fourth: What Dr. Nusseibeh is stating can not be
considered within the freedom of expression or personal opinion.
The rights of nations and of individuals can not be subjected to
intellectual or academic exercise. These are rights with clear
interpretations, and with clear basic rules.
Fifth: We demand that Dr. Nusseibeh stop damaging our
rights and that he stop abusing the freedom of opinion and
expression. We also demand that he follow the Palestinian National
Program to which we have all agreed, as a people along with our
leadership. Unless Dr. Nusseibeh has his own national or political
agenda, there is no reason why he should not follow this program.
If however he does have his own agenda, then we demand that he
spell it out publicly. We urge him to read various statements made
by Palestinian President Yasser Arafat in Arab, international and
Islamic forums, wherein Mr. Arafat repeatedly affirms that the
basis for solving the Palestinian refugee question lies in UN
General Assembly Resolution 194, with international law and
international legitimacy serving as terms of
reference.
Signatories:
Popular Committees
- Gaza Strip
Union of Community Youth Centers in the Refugee Camps – Palestine
National Society for the Defense of the Displaced Inside Israel - 1948 Palestine
Union of Women Activity Centers - West Bank Refugee Camps
BADIL Resource Center, Bethlehem, Palestine
Committee for the Defense of Refugee Rights - Balata Camp, Palestine
Jafa Cultural Center - Balata Camp, Palestine
Higher National Committee for the Return of the Refugees - Sana'oud - Nablus Governorate, Palestine
Office of National Institutions - Tubas Governorate, Palestine
Students Council - Jerusalem Open University - Nablus, Palestine
Handicapped Rehabilitation Committee - West Bank Refugee Camps, Palestine
The Coordinating Committee of Political Factions - Nablus Governorate
The Coordinating Committee of Political Factions - Tubas Governorate
All-Party Coordinating Committee-Jerusalem, Palestine
Aidun Group, Syria
High Committee for the Defense of the Right of Return, Jordan
Al-Awda Network, UK
Al-Awda, Palestine Right to Return Coalition-Steering Committee, North America
Palestinian Right of Return Coalition-Europe
Union of Community Youth Centers in the Refugee Camps – Palestine
National Society for the Defense of the Displaced Inside Israel - 1948 Palestine
Union of Women Activity Centers - West Bank Refugee Camps
BADIL Resource Center, Bethlehem, Palestine
Committee for the Defense of Refugee Rights - Balata Camp, Palestine
Jafa Cultural Center - Balata Camp, Palestine
Higher National Committee for the Return of the Refugees - Sana'oud - Nablus Governorate, Palestine
Office of National Institutions - Tubas Governorate, Palestine
Students Council - Jerusalem Open University - Nablus, Palestine
Handicapped Rehabilitation Committee - West Bank Refugee Camps, Palestine
The Coordinating Committee of Political Factions - Nablus Governorate
The Coordinating Committee of Political Factions - Tubas Governorate
All-Party Coordinating Committee-Jerusalem, Palestine
Aidun Group, Syria
High Committee for the Defense of the Right of Return, Jordan
Al-Awda Network, UK
Al-Awda, Palestine Right to Return Coalition-Steering Committee, North America
Palestinian Right of Return Coalition-Europe
Concluding Statement of the Second Coordinating
Meeting of the Coalition for the Palestinian Right of
Return
Brussels, 27-30 November 2001
There is no question that the al-Aqsa intifada
(uprising), now in its second year of noble sacrifices, has
strengthened the Palestinians’ resolve and determination in seeing
through to completion their struggle for their national rights,
which have become the unifying and focal point of Palestinian
sentiment whether in the homeland or in exile.
The sacrifices of the Palestinian people during the brave
intifada have forged certain developments and changes on the
ground. This, in turn, has contributed to constructing new
frameworks for struggle and unity which proved more effective in
protecting the intifada and maintaining our people’s
national goals, defined as: ending the Israeli occupation;
establishing an independent sovereign Palestinian state, with
Jerusalem as its capital; and adhering to our right of return, as
spelled out in UN General Assembly Resolution 194.
As part of our people’s efforts to secure their national
rights, this Second Coordinating Meeting was held in Brussels
between 27-30 November 2001 on an invitation from the
Bethlehem-based BADIL Resource Center for Palestinian Residency and
Refugee Rights, in cooperation with OXFAM / Belgium. Various NGOs,
committees and centers working for the defense of our right of
return (listed below) also took part in this meeting and were
consulted. At a time when our people is engaged in a valiant
struggle for their national rights, under the most difficult and
complicated of international situations, the aim of this meeting
was to improve the level of coordination and cooperation among the
participating organizations in order to strengthen the position of
Palestinian refugees and internally displaced persons.
The following goals were set for this Second
Coordinating Meeting:
1.
Improving the level of coordination
and cooperation among the participants.
2.
Formulating a unified discourse on
return which is based upon international laws and
principles.
3.
Designing a joint action plan for
the year 2002.
The meeting began with an evaluation session during which
participants reviewed their activities related to the defense of
the right of return. They reviewed the achievements in this respect
and elaborated upon the obstacles and difficulties they faced. They
then moved on to a presentation and discussion of the working
papers and the topics on the agenda,
including:
1.
The participants’ reports on their
activities for the previous year.
2.
A paper entitled “The Right of
Return and Self Determination – Principles and Priorities,”
presented by the two ‘Aidun groups of Lebanon and
Syria.
3.
A paper entitled “The Palestinian
Refugees’ Right of Return and the European NGO Solidarity
Movement,” presented by BADIL Resource Center.
4.
A paper entitled “Towards the
Publication of an Arabic-Language Periodical by the Right of Return
Coalition,” presented by BADIL Resource Center.
5.
A study of the Bosnian refugees’
experience and of the mechanisms for their return to their homes of
origin.
At the end of the discussion sessions and in light of the
conclusions and results reached, the participants made
the following
decisions:
1.
Declaring that the “Coalition for
the Palestinian Right of Return” shall serve as the main umbrella
organization, which will include all current member organizations
and will be open to all NGOs, committees and centers working on the
right of return who wish to join the coalition.
2.
Agreeing to reach out to Palestinian
organizations and centers working on the right of return in those
countries that were not represented in this meeting, to invite them
to join the coalition.
3.
Agreeing to strive to strengthen
relations with other (i.e., non-Palestinian) solidarity
organizations and groups in order to widen support for our right as
refugees to return to our homes of origin, in accordance with
Resolution 194, and to impress upon the international community its
obligation to guarantee our return.
4.
Emphasizing that the general
principles on return which were part of the Concluding Statement of
last year’s First Coordinating Meeting, held in Cyprus, remain part
of the unified basis for the Coalition for the Palestinian Right of
Return.
5.
Entrusting BADIL Resource Center
with the responsibility for coordinating among coalition members
during the year 2002.
The following recommendations were agreed
upon:
1.
To continue discussion on the
publication of an Arabic-language periodical under the name of the
coalition. It was agreed that a decision should be reached on this
issue by the end of February 2002.
2.
To refine the paper presented by the
two ‘Aidun groups from Lebanon and Syria, in light of the recorded
remarks and suggestions.
3.
To address world public opinion in
accordance with the bases and principles of the coalition’s
discourse on return.
4.
To work to alert Palestinian
refugees living in Europe and America of the importance of
registering with UNRWA.
5.
To confront adamantly any statement
made or position taken that infringes upon our right of return or
tries to relegate this right to a mere bargaining
chip.
6.
To hold the next coordinating
meeting of the coalition in one year’s time.
The right of return has become an essential part of the current
Palestinian national struggle and the core foundation of the work
of several of our NGOs, popular centers and committees. This being
the case, it is imperative that the coalition strengthen itself in
order to be able to shoulder the tasks for which it has taken
responsibility.
The participants in the meeting also stressed the
belief that defending our right of return is a responsibility of
all Palestinians wherever they may be and that the decades-old
struggle to achieve our national rights will not end until these
rights are fully granted. Our people are all united on all these
rights and will struggle for them all.
At the closing of the meeting, the participants saluted with
appreciation our brave intifada, in which our unarmed people
are confronting the occupation forces with steadfastness and
resolve to achieve their full rights. The participants also saluted
our brothers in the 1948 territories, who are struggling against
Israel’s racism, all the while clinging to their national identity
and their sense of belonging to their nation.
A salute of reverence to our martyrs.
A salute of appreciation and reverence to our steadfast
prisoners in Israeli jails.
We shall return to our land.
Brussels, 30 November 2001
Participants in the Second Coordinating Meeting of the
Coalition for the Palestinian Right of
Return:
1.
BADIL Resource Center for
Palestinian Residency and Refugee Rights -
Palestine.
2.
Committee for the Defense of
Palestinian Refugee Rights & Yafa Cultural Center –
Palestine.
3.
Union of Youth Activity Centers –
Refugee Camps, Palestine.
4.
National Society for the Rights of
the Internally Displaced – 1948
Palestine/Israel.
5.
High Committee for the Defense of
the Right of Return – Jordan.
6.
‘Aidun Group –
Syria.
7.
‘Aidun Group –
Lebanon.
8.
Forum of NGOs in Lebanon (an
umbrella coalition including most major Palestinian NGOs operating
in Lebanon) – Lebanon.
9.
Palestine Right to Return Coalition
(Al-‘Awda Network) – North America.
10.
Al ‘Awda-Palestine Right to Return
Coalition Europe – Europe.