Refugee Voices

The following statement was endorsed by 80 Palestinian refugee community organizations and hundreds of individuals in the Middle East and the wider Palestinian exile in October 2002.

Memorandum concerning public opinion about the Nusseibeh-Ayalon position

We Palestinians, the undersigned, reaffirm our right to return to our homes from which we were displaced in 1948, just as we have reaffirmed this right throughout the past 54 years of exile. We reaffirm that the right of return is a basic human right as set forth in international law and UN General Assembly Resolution 194.

Inherent in the right of return is the right to housing and property restitution. State succession or occupation does not extinguish these rights.
We reaffirm that the right of return is an individual and collective right. The right of return is non-negotiable. Governments or other second parties cannot waive or extinguish the right of return. We therefore condemn efforts by Sari Nusseibeh, head of the PLO's Jerusalem portfolio, to cede the right of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes of origin.

 We also condemn his latest public statement, prepared in concert with Ami Ayalon, the former head of the Israeli intelligence service (Shabak), which unequivocally calls upon Palestinian refugees to waive their right to return to their homes, while recognizing the historical right of the 'Jewish people' in Palestine. Moreover, the public statement attempts to waive Palestinian rights in Jerusalem and calls upon Palestinians to accept a weak state subject to Israeli control, characterized by limited sovereignty within altered 1967 borders.

The Nusseibeh-Ayalon position is dangerous because it grants Israel impunity for war crimes, including mass expulsion and population transfer, as set forth in the Fourth Geneva Convention, and violates basic principles set forth in international law, UN resolutions and decisions adopted by the Palestinian National Council. We reaffirm our right of return. Those who call upon us to cede our basic rights do not express the legitimate national interests of the Palestinian people; moreover, we do not consider them as belonging to the Palestinian people. Organizations and Personalities, Signatories of the Memorandum concerning the Nusseibeh-Ayalon "Agreement" Palestine Palestinian Prisoner's Society, head office, Bethlehem.

Al-Awda Charitable Society for Refugees in the Bethlehem Governorate. Popular Service Committees in the West Bank Refugee Camps. The National Charitable Society- Deheisheh Refugee Camp. Palestinian National and Islamic Emergency Committee-Bethlehem. Palestinian Teachers Movement, Hebron office. High Committee of Palestinian Students, Hebron. Popular Service Committee, Samm'o, Hebron. The Samm'o Municipality, Hebron. Ibn Sina Cultural Center, Samm'o, Hebron. General Union of Palestinian Students. Fatah Movement, Southern West Bank. Popular Service Committee, Doura, Hebron. Samm'o Cultural Center, Hebron. Fatah Movement, Samm'o, Hebron. Samm'o Youth Center, Hebron. Samm'o Agricultural Cooperation Society, Hebron. Shabiba Movement, Hebron University.

The Committee for the Twinship of French  ities with Palestinian Refugee Camps. Al-'Arroub Youth Activity Center, Hebron. Fatah Movement, al-'Arroub Refugee Camp, Hebron. Popular Service Committee, al-'Arroub Refugee Camp, Hebron. Charitable Committee, al-'Arroub Refugee Camp, Hebron. The Committee for the Protection of the Environment and the Landscape, al-'Arroub Refugee Camp, Hebron. Fatah Movement, Deir Samet, Nablus. Committee for the Defense of the Palestinian Refugee Rights, Nablus. Yaffa Cultural The following statement was endorsed by 80 Palestinian refugee community organizations and hundreds of individuals in the Middle East and the wider Palestinian exile in October 2002.

Center, Balata Refugee Camp, Nablus. Fatah Movement, Deheisheh Refugee Camp, Bethlehem. IBDA'A Center, Deheisha Refugee Camp, Bethlehem. Lajee Cultural Center, 'Aida Refugee Camp, Bethlehem. Al-Rowwad Theater Group, 'Aida Refugee Camp, Bethlehem. Popular Service Committee, 'Aida Refugee Camp, Bethlehem. BADIL Resource Center for Palestinian Residency and Refugee Rights, Bethlehem. Popular Service Committee, al-'Azza Refugee Camp, Bethlehem. Follow-up Committee for Southern West Bank Camp Affairs. Popular Committee in Support of Prisoners of Freedom, Bethlehem. Society for the Defense of the Internally Displaced in Israel. Executive Office of the Popular Service Committees, Gaza. Union of the Youth Activity Centers-Palestine Refugee Camps, Gaza. Union of the Youth Activity Centers-Palestine Refugee Camps, West Bank. Union of the Women Activity Centers, West Bank. Fatah Movement-Dora, Hebron. Fatah Movement-Sa'eer, Hebron. Palestinian Farmers' Union -Toubass, Nablus. Al-Sourief Municipality, Hebron. Sa'eer Sport's Club, Hebron.

Jordan

Head of Al-Rowwad Club, Hassan Hassanain, Jordan. Members of the High Committee for the Defense of the Palestinian Refugee Right of Return, Jordan. Head and members of Al-Mahatta Youth Club, Jordan. General Assembly of Al Baqa'a Refugee Camp Youth Club, Jordan. Popular Service Committee - Al-Baqa'a Youth Club, Jordan. Head of Karmel Youth Club - Martyr Azmi Refugee Camp, Jordan. Head of Al-Watan Youth Club, Rousseifa, Jordan. Head and members of Popular Committee to Resist Normalization with the Enemy, Zarqa, Jordan. Club of Iraqi University Graduates, Jordan. Head of Al-Awda Youth Club, Zarqa, Jordan. Union Coalition Committee, Irbid, Jordan. Women's Union-Irbid, Jordan. Committee for the Defense of the Right of Return, Jarash, Jordan. Al-Aqsa Youth Club-Souf Refugee Camp, Jordan. Jarash Cultural Forum, Jordan. Women's  Union-Zarqa, Jordan. Union of Jordanian Writers,Zarqa, Jordan. Gaza Youth Club, Jarash Refugee Camp, Jordan.

Lebanon

'Aidun Group.  Association Najdeh. Arab
Resource Center for Popular Arts. Beit Atfal al-Sumoud. Children and Youth Center- Shatilla Refugee Camp. Forum of NGOs in Lebanon. Ghassan Kanaafni Cultural Foundation. Inaash- Association for the Development of  Palestinian Camps. KG Resource and Training Center. Norwegian Peoples' Aid- Lebanon. Popular Aid for Relief and Development.

Syria

'Aidun Group. Europe Al-'Awda-Palestine Right to Return Coalition Europe. Al-'Awda-UK North America Al-'Awda-Palestine Right to Return Coalition