The Palestinian refugee problem was created as the result of two wars (Al-Naqba of 1948 and Al-Naksa of 1967), massacres, and other aggressions perpetrated by Jewish underground and terror groups such as Haganah, Irgun, and Stern. After the War of 1948, the UN Conciliation Commission estimated that 726,000 Palestinians (75% of the Arab population of Palestine) had fled outside (”1948 refugees”) while 32,000 remained within the armistice lines. Some 531 villages and towns were destroyed or resettled with Jews only (see attached map below). The total losses of destroyed or confiscated Palestinian property is estimated at US$209 billion. In addition to the refugees, there are the internally displaced Palestinians, who were expelled from their villages - located in what became Israel - during the 1948 War. At the end of the war, they numbered some 30-40,000 people who were not allowed internally to return to their homes and placed under military rule to facilitate the expropriation of their land. Until today, Israel does not recognize internally displaced Palestinians, whose number is estimated at 263,000-300,000 (BADIL Center, Bethlehem).

In 1950, 914,221 refugees were registered with UNRWA. In 1967, some 300,000 Palestinians were displaced from the West Bank and the Gaza Strip (WBGS) (”1967 displaced persons”), including around 175,000 UNRWA registered refugees who became refugees for a second time.

Today, the total 1948 refugee population is estimated at 5.5 million, incl. 4 million registered with UNRWA and 1.5 million not registered. In addition, there are 263,000 internally displaced (of 1948) and some 773,000 1967 displaced persons. (PLO Negotiations Affairs Department, Factsheet on Palestinian Refugees, May 2003).

In 2005, 42.2% of Palestinian children under 18 years living in the WBGS were refugees: 37.9% in the West Bank and 62.1% in Gaza Strip. (The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS), Palestinian Children - Rights and Numbers (PDF), p. 134, Ramallah, 2005.)

After Oslo, all camps in the WBGS except Shu’fat Camp in Jerusalem came under the control of the PA, but the overall fate of the refugees remains one of the most complex issues still awaiting a solution in the context of the ‘final status’ talks between the PLO/PA and Israel. Israel rejects the ‘right of return’ for the refugees and displaced persons, given the demographic threat to the Jewish state, and wants to solve the problem by resettlement in Arab host countries, international efforts to improve the refugees’ living conditions, and restricted readmission based on humanitarian considerations.

The Palestinians, conversely, demand the absolute ‘right of return’ to the area of mandatory Palestine for all 1948 refugees, based on UNGA Res. 194 (Dec. 1948), which recognized the right of refugees to return or receive compensation and which has been affirmed by the UNGA over 110 times so far. However, Israel continues to dispute the legality of the Palestinian claim based on Res. 194 and refuses to repatriate refugees, even though Israel’s admission to the UN in 1949 was conditional upon accepting UN Resolutions, incl. 194.

15 May 2007 commemorate the 59th Anniversary of the Palestinian Nakba (catastrophe). On Nakba Day, Palestinians renew their commitment to struggle against Israel’s discriminatory, apartheid-like regime which prevents our return to our homes and properties, and continues to displace us. We affirm that there can be no peace without our right to return.

Israel’s Jerusalem municipality launches official celebrations of the 40th anniversary of the “liberation and unification of Jerusalem” on 15 May. This, while last Friday, a courageous minority of Jews in Israel conducted a concerted effort to remind Israelis that, in many respects, the Nakba is also the story of Jews who live in Israel, and that acknowledgment of the Palestinian right of return will not only be a first step towards correcting the historical injustice committed against the Palestinian people, but will also usher in a new beginning for both, Jews and Arab in Palestine.

Under the slogan “day of hope Jerusalem two capitals for two states ” dozens of Israelis and Palestinians on Friday afternoon, held a gathering organized by the Israeli Peace Now movement to mark the 40th anniversary of the occupation of Jerusalem. (Source: imemc.org)

To add salt on wounds, few days ago the Israeli authorities announced its plans to build three new Jewish neighborhoods in East Jerusalem, primarily on territories occupied from the West Bank following the Six Day War.

Dr. Saeb Erekat, chief PLO Negotiation department said called Friday the international community to dissuade Israel from going ahead in judiazing occupied east Jerusalem, urging for International swift and immediate move to press on Israel to abandon its decision to build three settlements neighborhoods that would connect E.Jerusalem with West Bank settlement blocs…

Maps and layouts of the Israeli illegal settlement activities and the new settlement plan were circulated to all foreign media outlets, including in detail survey pf the all the Israeli unilateral measures and destruction of handicapped children association in Wadi Al Jouz.

All three proposed settlement neighborhoods lie on land Israel seized and occupied in the 1967 Mideast war; one calls for the construction of 500 apartments in the heart of an area of east Jerusalem densely populated by Palestinians. (Source: IPC)

What can you do?

Join the Fifth Annual International Al-Awda Convention

UNITING FOR THE RETURN - FIFTH ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL AL-AWDA CONVENTION

VENUE: Embassy Suites Hotel - Anaheim South, 11767 Harbor Boulevard, Garden Grove, CA 92840

DATE: May 25-27, 2007

The host committee of the Fifth Annual International Al-Awda Convention will now be held at Embassy Suites Hotel - Anaheim South, 11767 Harbor Boulevard, Garden Grove, CA 92840. The convention will take place on the May 25-27 memorial day week-end.

The date of the convention commemorates the Nakba, the 59th year since the “State of Israel” was declared on stolen Palestinian land, and which led to the Zionist occupation of all of Palestine.

The community-based local host committee currently includes the Southern California chapters of Al-Awda (Al-Awda Riverside, Los Angeles and San Diego), Students for Justice in Palestine at UCR, The Palestinian American Women’s Association, The Free Palestine Alliance, The National Council of Arab Americans, The Middle East Cultural and Information Center, The Muslim Students Association at Palomar College, The Muslim Students Association at UCSD, Students for Justice in Palestine at UCLA, The Muslim Students Union at UCR, The Arab Community Center of the Inland Empire, Campaign to End Israeli Apartheid - Southern California, Students for International Knowledge at CSUSB, and The Muslim Students Association at CSUSB.

THE PROGRAM

The Fifth Annual International Al-Awda Convention promises to be an amazing three-day event from speakers and workshops, film showings, to a Palestine Cultural Dinner Event. The opening will be held on the evening of Friday 25 May and include a moving event at which survivors of the Nakba, the great catastrophe, share their recollections of their first-hand experience in 1948.

On Saturday May 26, the convention will devote itself to political assessments, and to developing the ongoing work of organizing right to return campaigns such as refugee support, media work, student, art/culture, etc., in addition to our recruitment and outreach projects.

On Sunday May 27, the convention will arrive at its resolutions based on the concrete recommendations of the various workshops.

The Saturday evening Palestinian Cultural Dinner Event will include keynote addresses as well as music by world-renowned maestro Dr. Nabil Azzam, poetry readings and more. A Naji el-Ali exhibition will also be on display in commemoration of the 20th anniversary of his assassination. The cartoons for this exhibit were kindly provided by Khalid el-Ali, his son.

Among the confirmed convention speakers are:

* Dr. Jamal Zahalka, new leader of Balad (National Democratic Assembly, al-Tajamu’ al-Watani al-Dimuqrati) who will discuss the current situation of Palestinians living in the areas of their country occupied in 1948 and in the context of the persecution of Dr. Azmi Bishara, former leader of Balad.
* Leila Al-Arian, journalist, daughter of political prisoner Sami Al-Arian.
* Dr. Naseer Aruri, former member of The Palestine National Council.
* Elias Rashmawi, National Coordinator National Council of Arab Americans.

INVITATION

We urge all Al-Awda members, groups and individuals who support our goals to join us in our landmark Fifth Annual International Convention. It is extremely important to show those trying to silence us that they will not succeed. The convention is a superlative forum for right to return activists to listen to expert presentations and to share their own thoughts on how they would like to see our collective efforts and campaigns develop for the implementation of Palestinian refugee rights. With your support, Al-Awda’s Fifth International Convention, like its predecessors, will be one of the largest annual gatherings of Palestinian Arab activists and their supporters.

Don’t Wait! Reserve Your Place Today!

To reserve, go to:
http://al-awda.org/convention5/reservations.html

Additional information

Program: http://www.al-awda.org/convention5/prog.html
Speakers/Panelists: http://www.al-awda.org/convention5/speakers.html
Registration: http://www.al-awda.org/convention5/reservations.html
Hotels: http://www.al-awda.org/convention5/hotels.html
Travel Directions: http://www.al-awda.org/convention5/maps.html
For Media: http://www.al-awda.org/convention5/media5.html
Convention Flyer: http://www.al-awda.org/convention5/convflyer-embas.pdf
Sponsorship: http://www.al-awda.org/convention5/support.html
Exhibitor Tables: http://www.al-awda.org/convention5/table.html
Advertising: http://www.al-awda.org/convention5/adverts.html
T-shirt: http://www.al-awda.org/convention5/shirts.html
Host Committee: http://www.al-awda.org/convention5/hosts.html
Al-Awda’s Points of Unity: http://al-awda.org/pou.html

We thank you for your support and look forward to seeing you soon!

The Fifth Convention Host Committee
Al-Awda, The Palestine Right to Return Coalition
PO Box 131352
Carlsbad, CA 92013, USA
Tel: 760-685-3243
Fax: 360-933-3568
E-mail: info@al-awda.org
WWW: http://al-awda.org

Al-Awda, The Palestine Right to Return Coalition (PRRC) is the largest network of grassroots activists and students dedicated to Palestinian human rights. We are a not for profit tax-exempt educational and charitable 501(c)(3) organization as defined by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) of the United States of America. Under IRS guidelines, your donations to PRRC are tax-deductible.

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Support Al-Awda, a Great Organization and Cause!
http://www.al-awda.org/youtube.html
Become an Al-Awda Sustainer:
Monthly: http://al-awda.org/sustainers.html
Annually: http://al-awda.org/sustainers2.html

Reprinted with permission from Al-Awda

It’s noteworthy to mention that the initial venue for this convention was University of California at Riverside, however, Al-Awda received new unacceptable conditions and demands by certain UCR administrators well after they had approved the venue. For example, the administrators levied new administrative, security and other fees in the thousands of dollars which the hosts of the convention at UCR viz. the Students for Justice in Palestine would be expected to pay. Such prohibitive fees were highly unusual and have almost certainly never before been levied at UCR on any other student group, as Al-Awda report. Additionally, the university administrators insisted that a Zionist group be allowed to attend the convention, and that they film the convention and its participants, a remarkable attempt at intimidation.

All these new conditions and unreasonable demands were considered by the host committee as an attempt to shut down the Fifth Annual International Al-Awda Convention. Hence, the committee decided to move the convention to the Embassy Suites Hotel - Anaheim South, 11767 Harbor Boulevard, Garden Grove, CA 92840 - The committee felt that this private venue would provide a safer and more secure environment for Al-Awda community and convention attendees.