Mahmoud Abbas and the Right of Return
By Al-Awda
November 24, 2004

According to recent news reports, Mr. Mahmoud Abbas reiterated his commitment to doing his utmost to ensure that Israel recognizes the Right of Return for Palestinian refugees. Al-Awda, the Palestine Right to Return Coalition takes this opportunity to reiterate its absolute and unflinching adherence to the right of all Palestinian refugees to return to their original lands, towns and villages, to full restitution of all confiscated and destroyed property, and to compensation.

The Right of Return is the anchor of the Palestinian struggle and the principal pillar of the Palestinian national consensus. The Right of Return, along with the liberation from occupation of all Palestinian lands, including Jerusalem, represent fundamental inalienable rights and, as such, are redlines that should not be crossed.

Therefore, Al-Awda calls on Mr. Abbas to unequivocally declare his adherence to the full implementation of the right of all Palestinian refugees to return to their original towns and villages including those inside the so-called "Green Line". We also call on Abu Mazen to publicly repudiate the document he authored in 1995 with Yossie Beilin, and which outlined plans on how to solve the issue of the refugees by resettling them in other countries.

Long Live Palestine, all of Palestine Long Live the Palestinian People, all of the Palestinian People

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