December 10th & 11th 2011 – two anniversaries

The 63rd anniversary of the adoption by the United Nations of resolution 194 affirming the inalienable, natural, legal and historical rights of the Palestinian refugees to return to their homes and properties from which they were dispossessed with the creation of Israel in Palestine in 1948.

The Right of Return

The UN emissary, Count Folke Bernadotte (1895-1948) arrived in Palestine in May 1948 to mediate a cease fire. The recently proclaimed Israeli government consented to his appointment because, as president of the Swedish Red Cross, he saved 15,000 Jews from the Nazi Camps during WW2. Now in Palestine, having witnessed the expulsion of the Palestinians from their home, he called for the unqualified return of all Palestinian refugees expelled as a result of the conflict. He declared: “It would be an offence against the principles of elemental justice if these innocent victims of the conflict were denied the right to return to their homes, while Jewish immigrants flow into Palestine”. For this, he was assassinated by Jewish underground terrorists on 17 September 1948.

It was partly as a tribute to Count Bernadotte that the UN General Assembly issued its Resolution 194 on 11 December 1948 calling for the “Return of all expelled Palestinians (Art. 11). Only the day before, on 10 December 1948, The UN published The Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Article 13 of that Declaration states that every person has the right to return to his/her home. To prevent that person from returning. no matter what the reason for his/her exodus, is a war crime. The right of the refugees to return to their homes is not only a sacred and legal right, but also a possible one. Studies show that 80% of Jews live on 15% of historic Palestine. The remaining 20% of Jews live on 85% of land that belongs to Palestinians. The Right of Return is an inalienable right sacredly held by all refugees and entitles them to return at any time to their homes. This Right can never be diminished by the passage of time or by any treaty unless the refugee himself/herself, declares otherwise, and forfeits that Right, but under no duress of any kind.