| 15523136...!! You may be surprised by the strange title of today’s column. However, as the Palestinian people approach the first elections in which they will democratically chose their leadership - something we have been waiting and struggling to achieve for generations - an important question arises. What will become of the Palestinian refugees who vote and run in the elections? Will they no longer be considered refugees, because of their participation?
The number above is the number of my file in the UNRWA’s refugee records; I inherited it from my father and grandfather. Both of them have died, but they and I and all those who share my past, continue to be refugees. To raise this issue so close to the elections is not meant to oppose or deny their importance. The opposite is the case: the issue must be raised precisely because these elections are so important and crucial for the democratic future of our society. However, the refugee question, listed in the DOP among the central issues postponed until the final status negotiations, deserves the attention and time.
We are dealing with an enemy whose wickedness has been proved in times of war and peace. Therefore we must not rely on promises of good will which will then pave the way to hell. What will we say when Israel will claim, in the final status negotiations that, “refugees who participated in the elections and chose their representation can no longer claim their rights?” We don’t want to listen to nice speeches without substance. We want Mr. Sa’eb Erekat, Minister of Local Affairs, to present us with a convincing argument after the issue is raised in the cabinet and only after the Israeli government and the states sponsoring the peace process issue a written guarantee stating, that our participation in the elections will not make the refugee camps into our homeland. They must guarantee that our cause will remain based on the relevant UN-resolutions, including our right to return and compensation. As long as we have no such guarantee, we call upon UNRWA to handle our cause and raise the questions presented here.
I personally neither will renounce my status as a refugee, nor hand in my blue UNRWA card and the number which entitles me to aid-packages in exchange for my vote in the elections. There is no deal, even if I will remain a refugee for another 50 years. There is still time for the PNA and UNRWA to find a solution that will enable us to go to the elections without fear. Isn’t this one of our basic rights [Hamdi Farraj, al-Quds, 14/11/95]? |
