Israel Matzav

NGO's inventing 'Palestinian right of return'

NGO Monitor lists 23, International, Israeli, 'Israeli Arab' and 'Palestinian' NGO's who support - in one way or another - a 'Palestinian right of return.'

Some organizations claim that a “right of return” should be acknowledged in the framework of a “just” peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians. Others allege that this is a legal right, inalienable and non-negotiable, that is supposedly rooted in international law and/or UN statements such as UN General Assembly Resolution 194 (article 11).. Groups including the NGO Development Center (NDC, see below) distort the record, falsely identifying Resolution 194 as a Security Council resolution passed under Chapter VII of the UN Charter and, therefore, obligatory.

What - you mean you thought that Resolution 194 provides for a 'right of return' for all who claim they want to 'live in peace'? Not quite....

Importantly, Resolution 194 does not mandate a wholesale “right of return” to Israel for Palestinians displaced in the 1948 War. Instead, it “permits”, if “practicable,” the involved countries to allow both Jewish and Arab refugees who wish to “live at peace with their neighbours” to return to their homes. In lieu of returning, the resolution suggests that compensation be paid for lost or damaged property “by the Governments or authorities responsible.” Responsible parties would include not only Israel, but the Arab governments who initiated the 1948 War and Arab leaders who encouraged, or in many cases, forced residents to leave. 194 notes that compensation should be based on principles of “international law or in equity,” which clearly weigh against any unfettered “right of return.” The resolution also established a committee to facilitate repatriation and/or resettlement. Nothing in the resolution speaks about a “right of return” for descendants. Significantly, international law does not allow one group claiming self-determination to erase the self-determination of another group.

Hmmm.

Labels: Palestinian refugees, right of return

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 7:46 PM