The demand that the state of Israel abide by Article 11 of UN General Assembly Resolution 194 and other relevant international laws in its treatment of Palestinian refugees is _not_ the demand that Jews must leave Israel, so all of Palestine under the former British Mandate may be restored to Palestinians. That is a red herring. The issue is whether Palestinian exiles may be allowed to return to live in not just the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem but also Israel.
Article 11 of UN General Assembly Resolution 194 (11 December 1948): "the refugees wishing to return to their homes and live in peace with their neighbors should be permitted to do so at the earliest practicable date, and that compensation should be paid for the property of those choosing not to return and for the loss of or damage to property which, under the principles of international law or in equity, should be made good by the Governments or authorities responsible" (@ <http://www.palestinecenter.org/cpap/pubs/20000406ib.html>). Is there any reason -- legal, moral, or political -- that should allow the state of Israel not to comply with this article and other international laws that concern treatment of refugees?
As for feasibility, here is a study that suggests that Palestinians' right of return is practical as well: Salman H. Abu-Sitta, "The Feasibility of the Right of Return," <http://www.arts.mcgill.ca/MEPP/PRRN/papers/abusitta.html>. See also _Palestinian Refugees: The Right of Return_, ed. Naseer Aruri, University of British Columbia Press, 2001, <http://www.ubcpress.ubc.ca/search/title_book.asp?BookID=2096>.
Israeli Jews have a right to continue to live in Israel, but Palestinians who became expelled and exiled in 1948 or 1967 have as good a right to "return to their homes and live in peace with their neighbors" as they do.
At 12:19 PM -0800 2/22/03, andie nachgeborenen wrote:
>In the context of the antiwar movement here and now, while Yoshie is
>right that we have to look beyond the specific short term goal of
>trying to stop the war, the issue is complicated by the short term
>goal, which is necessary even if unlikely. In this context,
>denunciations of Zionism as racism and insistance on maximalist
>button-pushing positions is not helpful.
Notice that I have not said one word about whether or not Zionism is racism; nor is the demand that the state of Israel abide by Article 11 of UN General Assembly Resolution 194 a "maximalist" position, though it will surely push _some_ buttons, as _all_ important issues and questions do.
The demand for Palestinian refugees' right of return is legal, moral, and feasible; and if the Arab American Institute/Zogby International poll in 2000 is any indication, the majority of Americans (51.4%!) _strongly_ support it:
***** Copyright 2000 PR Newswire Association, Inc. PR Newswire July 18, 2000, Tuesday SECTION: WASHINGTON DATELINE DISTRIBUTION: TO FOREIGN, RELIGION AND NATIONAL EDITORS LENGTH: 572 words HEADLINE: U.S. Public Opinion Supports Palestinian State and Right to Return DATELINE: WASHINGTON, July 18
...3. Israeli law holds that Jews from anywhere in the world have the right to come to Israel and become citizens of that state. However, since Israel was created in 1948, millions of Palestinians have become refugees. The UN passed a resolution saying that Palestinians have the right to return to their homes. Do you agree or disagree that Palestinians have this right to return?
51.4% Strongly Agree < 74% Agree 22.6% Somewhat Agree 4.7% Somewhat Disagree < 9% Agree 4.5% Strongly Disagree... *****
The main demand of US socialists (and all people of conscience) with regard to the state of Israel should be (A) that the state of Israel obey international law, including Article 11 of UN General Assembly Resolution 194; and the main demand with regard to the US-Israel relation should be (B) that the USG end its military, economic, and political support to Israel. In addition to (A) and (B), US socialists should advance the position that (C) Palestinians have the right to resist the occupation _within the limits of international law_ (e.g., no targeting of unarmed civilians). -- Yoshie
* Calendar of Events in Columbus: <http://www.osu.edu/students/sif/calendar.html> * Student International Forum: <http://www.osu.edu/students/sif/> * Committee for Justice in Palestine: <http://www.osudivest.org/> * Al-Awda-Ohio: <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Al-Awda-Ohio> * Solidarity: <http://solidarity.igc.org/>