ACTION ALERT
For Immediate Release
September 14, 2008
URGENT ACTION: DEFEND THE RIGHT TO RETURN!
According to several recent reports of an interview with the Ha'aretz
newspaper (http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1020471.html), Palestinian
Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas is quoted as indicating that he is
willing to negotiate away the rights of millions of Palestinian refugees to
return to their homes and lands of origin. This outrageous statement, which
has not been denied to date, comes on the heels of US Secretary of State
Condoleeza Rice's latest visit and attempt to squeeze a 'peace agreement'
from both the PA and 'Israel'.
ACTION REQUESTED
In keeping with the brief scenario outlined in the 6th issue of Until Return http://www.al-awda.org/until-return/danger.html, Al-Awda, The Palestine
Right to Return Coalition, is calling on all its members, supporters, and
all people of conscience to respond to the current increased
attempts to 'negotiate' away the inalienable right of Palestinians to return
to their homes and lands of origin.
Please write to President Mahmoud Abbas c/o of the PLO
Office in Washington, D.C. and The Permanent Observer Mission of Palestine
to the United Nations.
TALKING POINTS
*President Mahmud Abbas' statement as reported in the Ha'aretz interview is
at complete variance with the Palestinian people's inalienable, natural,
legal, historical, individual and collective right to return to their homes
and lands of origin, as enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights, International Law and UN Resolutions 194 and 3236.
*According to international law, no agreement, negotiations or parties which
purport to trade away the right to return or any other inalienable rights
can have any legal basis and cannot bind or compel the Palestinian people to
end the struggle for the fulfillment of their rights.
*Any attempt to abrogate the rights of Palestinian refugees would set a
disastrous precedent in international human rights law. It would provide a
clear signal that any invaders who expel civilians from their homes, steal
their property, and prevent them from returning for long enough can expect
to have their illegal territorial conquests blessed with international legitimacy.
*Implementation of the right to return as spelled out in UN resolutions is
the core to a just resolution of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
* Mr. Mahmoud Abbas should resign as president of the PA and chairman of the
PLO forthwith. His statement as reported in the Ha'aretz, and which he has
not denied to date, is outrageous and disregards the rights of 7.2 million
Palestinians living in forced exile.
Send Letters to:
*PA President Mahmoud Abbas
c/o PLO Office in Washington, D.C.
1320 18th Street, NW, Suite 200
Washington, DC 20036
Email: Plomission1@aol.com
Email: Palmission@aol.com
Tel: (202) 974 6360
Fax: (202) 974 6278
Permanent Observer Mission of Palestine to the United Nations
115 East 65th Street
New York, NY 10021
Email: palestine@un.int
Tel: (212) 288-8500
Fax: (212) 517-2377
Please cc your correspondence to: alerts@al-awda.org
Executive Committee
Al-Awda, The Palestine Right to Return Coalition
PO Box 131352
Carlsbad, CA 92013, USA
E-mail: info@al-awda.org
WWW: http://www.al-awda.org
Tel: 760-918-9441
Fax: 360-933-3568
Al-Awda, The Palestine Right to Return Coalition (PRRC) is the largest
network of grassroots activists and students dedicated to advocacy for the
inalienable, natural, legal, historical, individual and collective rights of
all Palestinians to return to their homes and lands of origin. PRRC is 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. To
donate, please go to http://www.al-awda.org/donate.html and follow the
instructions.
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