The Obama administration is hosting a new round of peace talks between The Palestinian Authority and Israel tomorrow September 2, 2010. This comes in the midst of accelerated demolitions of Palestinian homes in Jerusalem and Al-Naqab (Negev) and renewed promises by top Israeli officials to accelerate settlement building on occupied Palestinian land. Al-Awda, The Palestine Right to Return Coalition, which has members in 45 states in the U.S. and in several other countries around the world, sees the basis of these negotiations as well as the measures taken by the Israeli government as detrimental to the talks and any future peaceful settlement.
Al-Awda has taken the following position on the new talks:
■ The talks are doomed to fail if they follow earlier patterns and focus that have plagued such talks for the past 20 years.
■ The talks will only succeed and produce a real, lasting, just and secure peace if they are based on the respect and implementation of fundamental individual and collective human rights, international law, and UN resolutions which affirm such rights and laws.
■ First and foremost, the inalienable, natural, legal, historical and non-negotiable rights of 7.2 million exiled and internally displaced Palestinians to return to their homes and lands with compensation must be implemented.
■ Israel should return to its original owners all private and public Palestinian land it has occupied and confiscated since its creation in 1948.
Al-Awda believes that one democratic state over the entire land which includes present day Israel, the West Bank and Gaza Strip, is the only viable and realistic solution to this conflict and to preserve the rights of all of its citizens. Israel has created a situation on the ground that makes it impossible to have two states to exist side by side.
In addition, the Palestinian population inside Israel is an integral inseparable part of the Palestinian people. They must be recognized by the international community as equal citizens in a one future state. Any future state will have to reject all forms of racism and discrimination and implement democratic values for all its citizens regardless of color, faith or race. These are the only viable basis for a just, lasting and secure peace for all.
Contacts for media interviews:
Dr. Jess Ghannam Tel. 415-726-3951 Email: jess@al-awda.org
Mr. Marwan Ahmad Tel. 602-330-6795 Email: marwan@al-awda.org
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