The Returning Issue of Palestine's Refugees

making Palestinian refugees the oldest and largest refugee community in the world today.

Really amazing on how long the neglect has been taking place.

This's not a neglect issue , this is a full plan for swallowing the whole Palestinian territories step by step .

They have zero intention to return the old refugees of 1948 , otherwise and by World's silence they will create new refugee problem by demolishing Palestinian houses and inflicting prejudice and apartheid policies on Palestinians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem to let them leave .

Israel's actions (implementing that plan you mention) and official non-recognition (denial?) of the Nakba keep the negotiations for status of refugees out of public purview. There are also practical reasons why we don't hear much about it.

The right of return is still one of the pillars of any final settlement. Recognizing the right and negotiating settlement with refugees may be thought of as 2 distinct processes. Recognizing the right does not imply the literal transfer of persons to the exact place from which they once were. Think of the millions of persons resettled by this right following WWII. There were entire cities which were uninhabitable. Following recognition of the right to return refugees are given options based on current circumstances as well as the historic claims they might have. They won't all be offered the same set of options.

We also know that the issue is considered by Israel has as Olmert mentioned recently.

The Balfour declaration led to around 10 million displaced Palestinians around the world today and all the ongoing conflict and misery in the Middle East.

The Palestinian Diaspora: A History of Dispossession

Nice concise history in that link Side Winder V.

Yes Meloney, this is response to the deniers of Nakba and Palestinian Diaspora.

The Israeli hasbara has been desperately spreading misinformation based on their spin claiming that the Palestinians have no right to return. Amazing how the indigenous have lost their right of return to their homeland and the foreigners are automatically allowed to migrate into Palestine.

The Israeli hasbara is missing the point that Palestinians of all religions (Islam, Christendom and Judaism) and non religions lived together in peace until the European Zionists came along with their merciless militaristic expansionist and racist ideology and planted hate between people of faith or non faith and caused misery and sorrow to millions of indigenous Palestinians for over 62 years.

Palestinian Diaspora

Interesting simile ''Palestinian Diaspora'' , first time to read it

Yes Fada, that's the Zionists plan to colonize Palestine and ethnically cleans it from its indigenous inhabitants.

The Polish Zionist David Gruen (Green) who changed his name to David Ben-Gurion and who became the first Israeli Prime Minister was the master of ethnic cleansing of the Palestinians.

According to Shabtai Teveth, one of Ben-Gurion' official biographers:

On June 16, 1948, there were calls by members of the MAPAM party for the return of Jaffa's"peace minded" Palestinian refugees, and in response, Ben-Gurion stated during a Cabinet meeting:

"I do not accept the version [i.e. policy] that [we] should encourage their return. . . I believe we should prevent their return . . . We must settle Jaffa, Jaffa will become a Jewish city. . . . The return of [Palestinian] Arabs to Jaffa [would be] not just foolish." If the [Palestinian] Arabs were allowed to return, to Jaffa and elsewhere, " and the war is renewed, our chances of ending the war as we wish to end it will be reduced. . . . Meanwhile, we must prevent at all costs their return," he said, and, leaving no doubt in the ministers' minds about his views on the ultimate fate of the [Palestinian] refugees, he added: "I will be for them not returning after the war." (Benny Morris, p. 141 & 1949, The First Israelis, p. 75)

David Ben-Gurion and who became the first Israeli Prime Minister was the master of ethnic cleansing of the Palestinians.

The Master? Obviously not, which is why this conversation is taking place.

Oh yes, the colonialist Zionists revere David Ben-Gurion because of his pioneering plans for the The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine whilst he was declaring his recognition of the United Nations Charter.

That proves the point, Israel is founded on lies and broken promises.

Pappe writes about the "Red House" in Tel-Aviv that became headquarters for the Hagana, the dominant Zionist underground paramilitary militia during the British Mandate period in Palestine between 1920 and 1948 when the Jewish state came into being. He details how 'David Ben-Gurion' , Israel's first prime minister, met with leading Zionists and young Jewish military officers on March 10, 1948 to finalize plans to ethnically cleanse Palestine that unfolded in the months that followed including "large-scale (deadly serious)intimidation; laying siege to and bombarding villages and population centres; setting fire to homes, properties and goods; expulsion; demolition; and finally, planting mines among the rubble

Planning for 'Palestinian Holocaust' by those who survived atrocities of Nazi holocaust is so much surprising

Not only are the Palestinians seeking the realization of their right of return to their homeland but also the United Nations and International Community. The question is whether Israel does adhere to United Nations resolutions or not.

The Palestinian Diaspora: Right to Return

The right of return derives from UN General Assembly Resolution 194 passed in December of 1948. The part of the resolution concerning Palestinian refugees was one of fifteen paragraphs dealing with various aspects of the conflict. The contents of Resolution 194 were adopted from the recommendations of the UN Conciliation Committee (CCP) progress report created in September 1948 by Count Folke Beradotte, the UN mediator in Palestine. According to Paragraph 11 of the resolution, recognition of the Palestinians' right to return to their homes is stated as follows: "refugees who wish to return to their homes and live at peace with their neighbors should be permitted to do so at the earliest practical date, and that compensation should be paid for the property of those choosing not to return and for loss of or damage to, property which under principles of international law or in equity, should be made good by the governments or authorities responsible." The UN Has reaffirmed this resolution nearly every year since its adoption. (xv)

Saeb Erekat wrote:

In accordance with past Israeli-Arab agreements based on UN resolutions – most significantly the Egypt-Israeli Camp David Accords based on UN resolution 242's formula of land-for-peace – resolution 194 must provide the basis for a settlement to the refugee issue.

The reality here is that out of the Arab-Israeli agreements the Arab side is fulfilling their pledges and Israel is not.

live at peace with their neighbors should be permitted to do so at the earliest practical date,

We'll get back to you on that....