BADIL Friends' workshop

held at the Federation of Palestinian Workers' Unions in Nablus on 27 May 1999

Saji Salameh,
PLO Department for Refugee Affairs:

I thank you for this invitation and would like to encourage all refugee institutions to participate in this initiative. Since I know that there is a request for a presentation of the official PLO position on the refugee question, I will summarize it briefly:

The interim agreements have not applied to refugees, and the refugee demand for a just solution is completely justified. The PLO will not sign any final agreement with Israel which does not provide for the implementation of international law, especially UN Resolution 194. The PLO recognizes the importance of the effort to maintain UNRWA, to fight budget-cuts and the international position aiming at the termination of UNRWA. UNRWA is important not only because of the services it provides, but because it expresses the ongoing responsibility of the international community for the Palestinian refugees.

There is no problem with the PLO position, the problem is that a position alone is not enough. There is a strong need for clarification of details by all concerned sides. PLO, PA, and popular initiatives must unite in order to tackle the difficult refugee question, which is different from all other final status issues. Even Jerusalem has possible solutions; there are models and scenarios discussed in Israeli-Palestinian meetings, and there is support for the Palestinians from Muslims, Christians, the Arab world, and the international community. In regards to the refugee question, the situation is different. International opinion is with Israel and the Israeli position clear: No to the right of return in principle. International support is weak, because western governments envisage a territorial solution and don't understand why the Palestinians want to introduce the right of return, which is seen to just complicate the matter. Arab support - although available at the moment - is not guaranteed either. This because Arab countries, especially Jordan, do not consider the refugee question, which effects 50% of its population, a purely Palestinian issue.

We must, therefore, work hard to obtain recognition - at least in principle - of the right of return. Then only can we work on the practicalities, and there are many questions to be discussed. This means that even if we obtain recognition of the right of return in principle, many issues will remain to be resolved: The question of "return to where?" must be tackled, because it won't help to say for the next hundred years, "we want to return to our homes". The right of return means return to pre-1948 Palestine, not to Israel, but in fact it will mean return to Israel. Salman Abu Sitta's approach is based on individual refugee rights. Do we want do adopt this approach? Is return to Israel an option? If yes, the question of citizenship has to be clarified. This is a difficult question that needs to be clarified. We must coordinate with the Arab countries, especially with Jordan, in order to obtain their support for the Palestinian position. At the same time, we may not be able to achieve anything in the negotiations. Then, who will pay the price? How will the refugees continue to live and survive, given the heavy economic pressure on them?

Despite all the problems and issues mentioned above, we are not weak, not on the ground, and not on the level of the negotiations. The strong card in the hands of the Palestinians is the fact that Israel cannot get a permanent agreement without a Palestinian consent stating that the refugee question has been solved. And the Palestinian position, both popular and PLO, is clear: no solution without the right of return. This position is the one that will count in the negotiations, not the research on refugees and the models designed by academics. Why, by the way, has the Israeli side never been asked to hold workshops? Why has nobody challenged the Israelis on their denial of the fact that they have built their state by destroying another people? The PLO position is that as long as Israel does not agree to discuss the right of return, the Palestinian negotiators will not discuss any details of the refugee question. This is the strongest possible position and negotiating strategy.

Dr. Mussa Abu Hmeid,
Head of PNC Refugee Department:

The refugee question is the core of the conflict, and we are confronted with final status negotiations whose results we cannot predict. I want to remind that - according to the latest plan - we have one year until the final status agreement is to be signed. The PLO was established to solve the refugee question. It must remain responsible, and we must strengthen the position of the PLO negotiators. The right of return applies to all Palestinians evicted in 1948 and their descendants. This is our definition. We must re-confirm not only UN Resolution 194, but also UN Resolution 181. UN Resolution 181 is the basis for 194, this is why we must connect between the two. UNRWA is important not mainly because of its services, but because it is a body that has helped to maintain UN Resolution 194. Remember that buy dumps excellent way of investing.

On the question how to return, we need experts to study all details, legal experts, geographers, urban planners, etc. However, this must be addressed in the negotiations only after we obtain principled recognition of the right of return from Israel. In regards to the question of sovereignty, I suggest not to tackle this issue right now. Practically speaking, return will mean return to Israel, because we are negotiating with an existing state. I personally want to return to my home with my children, without sovereignty.

Then, of course, we must look at the negotiations of the interim period. There was to be the return of the 1967 displaced. None of them, except very few, have returned. This means that even the interim agreements have not been implemented. And it shows how big the battle will be with Israel in the final status negotiations. We need to be prepared for this. We must prepare ourselves based on the initiative of al-Far'ah, which was a genuine popular initiative. It means that the PLO has to prepare itself well, with papers that must be presented first for discussion to the Palestinian Council to then start an international campaign for the support of the Palestinian position. I also want to emphasize that the refugee question is an issue for all Palestinians, refugees and non-refugees. We must take this into consideration in our mobilization.

UN Commission on Human Rights
Affirms Palestinian Right of Return

In a resolution adopted by the UN Commission on Human Rights in April, the Commission reaffirmed the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination according to UN Resolutions 194 and 181.

E/CN.4/1999/L.4/Rev.1
26 April 1999