from the editor

al majdal is named after one of the Palestinian cities in the south of Palestine, home to some 11,000 Palestinian women, men, youth, and children, which was brought to a sudden end by the forceful superimposure of the Israeli city of Ashkelon. Unlike many other towns and villages in Palestine, not all of the people of Majdal Jad, as it was known, had vacated their town during the war of 1948. More than 1,500 residents remained steadfast until 1950, when they were finally evicted by a combination of Israeli military force and bureaucratic measures reminiscent of the current Israeli policy of ethnic cleansing applied against the Palestinian inhabitants in the eastern areas of occupied Jerusalem, in particular, and against Palestinians remaining in the area of historic Palestine. Thus, Palestinians of Majdal Jad were turned into refugees, most of them finding shelter in the nearby Gaza Strip. Like other Palestinian refugees, they have not disappeared. They have remained close to their homes and lands. Of old age now, they, their children and grandchildren have built new hopes and dreams based on the international recognition of their right of return, and struggled for the day when they would live a free citizens in al-Majdal/Ashkelon.

In this issue of al majdal we examine the positions and concerns of Palestinian refugees with the restarting of the final status negotiations. al majdal also asks the PLO Department for Refugee Affairs about the Palestinian negotiation strategy in the final status talks. Based on a recent field visit, we also look at the issue of Palestinian refugees inside Israel, commonly known as the internally displaced. After more than fifty years as citizens of Israel, internally displaced Palestinians continue to struggle for the right to return to their lands and homes. With the advent of the final status talks, the internally displaced are calling for a unified Palestinian position to implement the right of return and restitution for Palestinian refugee properties taken over by the Israeli government for the exclusive use of the Jewish community in Israel. al majdal also takes a look at continuing policies of ethnic cleansing and eviction in the Jerusalem area. Since the last issue of the magazine, new plans have come to light for the conversion of the existing Bethlehem/Jerusalem checkpoint into an Erez (Gaza) style checkpoint. al majdal examines the plan and the implications of the new checkpoint. Finally, we bring to you another set of refugee voices from children in Lebanon writing about their experiences as refugees and an oral history account of eviction from Majdal Jad.