Press Releases

More on Nusseibeh-Ayalon: “The So-called People's Campaign”

BADIL Resource Center
09 June 2003
For Immediate Release


I have received several emails from some of those whose names were mentioned on the list of signatories to the so-called 'Destination Map' launched by a circle of people who has remained anonymous. In a full-page advertisement published in Al-Hayat Al-Jadida [and the two other major local Palestinian papers, al-Quds and Al-Ayyam] on Thursday, 5 June 2003, these people define themselves as 'the People's Campaign for Democracy and Peace.’ The people who wrote to me said they were surprised to find their signatures on a matter they had not been consulted on. One of them said that his signature might have been obtained via a third party providing charity, assistance or another service. Another Palestinian said that he was trapped, because he cannot afford the cost of the press announcement [approximately US $100] that would allow him to retract his name falsely published!

Izzadin Yousef from Jerusalem appealed to me to write about the trauma of those who were named by this ‘great declaration’ as supportive of waiving the refugees' right of return, and he thanked me ahead of time for my understanding. This because I had denounced the first advertisement of this Campaign published in another newspaper [al-Quds] on 7 May. The list of names was published in the second advertisement this Thursday, apparently in order to give credibility to the political intrigue aimed at bypassing the refugees' right of return. Of course, there are the names of those who really support proposals of this kind. These people must not be pressured or accused in any way, because they represent a tiny sector that is not expected to grow. We believe in dialogue and are aware of the many factors that may push a weak Palestinian person into unsteady grounds and antagonistic positions. Every opinion is subject to debate, unless it is a matter of conspiracy or treason, or an offense against security.

The organizers of this so-called 'Campaign' are not democratic. This because they published names without consulting their owners and ignored people’s reputation and position. More than that, they tried to gather a number of signatures that would be large enough in order to pressure for the cancellation of the Palestinian refugee's right to return to his home and field, to the memories of his family and ancestors, and to his properties in the homeland. At the same time, I was informed by one of the letters that a review of the 35 signatories in Gaza - the place of residence of the sender who is familiar with the names - shows that ten of them are relatives, whose names were       deliberately dispersed and scattered all over the list. "Since when," the writer then proceeds to ask, "are political programs of such danger and scope launched by means of an announcement signed by some ten persons or slightly more, with the addition of another twenty who are not informed of the matter, in a region that counts one and a half million residents?"

Techniques of this type do not create actual political movements. If there are resources available for such a "Campaign," even if they originate from U.S. intelligence sources, we would welcome the use of such means for in-depth debate, conferences and studies about mechanisms that would permit implementation of the return resolution [UN Resolution 194] without endangering the Hebrew state - taking into consideration that the donor is concerned first of all about Israel's interests and future. There is nothing bad about enriching the debate and revisiting the law, the rights and the facts, even if the funding comes from the CIA or similar sources. We have no problem or reservations. However, advertisements of this kind, which resemble the anonymous advertisements published on behalf of the mafia in the yellow pages of Chicago, are unacceptable; they will not have lasting impact nor benefit anybody.

(Adli Sadeq is author of a daily column entitled 'From here and There' in Al-Hayat Al-Jadida: [email protected]; translation by BADIL) 

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Note by BADIL: A first list of some 760 signatures was published by this ‘Campaign’ on 5 June. A second list containing some 400 additional names was published after the writing of this article Sunday, 8 June (al-Quds). Adli Sadeq’s account is confirmed by the experience of BADIL, which has received numerous complaints by ‘signatories’ who hold that their names were abused. The problem was aggravated by the fact that on the second list, names were published incomplete and without indication of the place of residence, thus giving rise to even more confusion about the ‘signatories’ actual identity. Dozens of furious citizens have published retractions in the local press, and an even larger number of people complain that they would like to do so, but cannot afford the cost of private news-ads. (For additional information, see also BADIL press release E/29/03 at www.badil.org/Presss/2003/press304-03.htm)