Synopses & Reviews
With renewed conflict in the Middle East, the prospect of a peaceful resolution looks more unlikely than ever. The Palestinian right of return to their homes has been upheld in international law and through United Nations' resolutions for fifty years. Equally the right of return has been denied by Israel and deferred to a "final status" issue in the Oslo Accords. It is on this right of return that the Palestinians are united. And it is this issue which is so frequently ignored by the international media.
With major contributions from a range of international experts, including Edward W. Said, Noam Chomsky, Ilan Pappe, Alain Gresh and Norman Finkelstein, this volume examines the Palestinians right of return. Chapters cover the historical roots of the Palestinian refugee question; the rights of the refugees under international law; the special case of Lebanon; Israeli perceptions of the refugee question; the practical feasibility of the return; the role of the United States and the European Union and the Refugee Question; the value of the refugee property; the principles of compensation; and a programme for an Independent Rights Campaign.
Synopsis
'An indispensable resource for everyone committed to finding a just solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.' --Race and Class
Synopsis
Fresh look at Kurdistan Iraq today, including the role of central government and international forces, and the region's political and economic future.
About the Author
Dr. Naseer Aruri is Chancellor Professor (Emeritus) of Political Science at the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth. He is Chair of the Board of Directors of the Trans-Arab Research Institute (Boston), a member of the Executive committee of the Center for policy Analysis on Palestine (Washington, D.C.), and a member of the Board of Directors of the newly-established International Institute of Criminal Investigations (The Hague). He is a member of the Independent Palestinian Commission for the Protection of Citizens Rights (Ramallah) since its inception in January l994, a Founding Member of the Arab Organization for Human Rights, Cairo and Geneva in 1982, and a member of the editorial board of Third World Quarterly (London). He was also a member of the Board of Directors of Human Rights Watch/Middle East, 1990-1992, and a three - term member of the Board of Directors of Amnesty International, USA, 1984-1990.
Table of Contents
Preface
Elaine C. Hagopian
Introduction: The Right of Return at Last
Edward W. Said
PART I THE HISTORICAL CONTEXT
1.The Right to Expel:The Bible and Ethnic Cleansing
Michael Prior
2. The Historical Roots of the Palestinian Refugee Question
Nur Masalha
PART II THE INTERESTS OF THE MAJOR ACTORS
3. Israeli Perceptions of the Refugee Question
Ilan Pappe
4. The United States and the Refugee Question
Noam Chomsky
5. The European Union and the Refugee Question
Alain Gresh
6. The Palestine Liberation Organization: From the Right ofReturn to Bantustan
Jaber Suleiman
PART III RETURN OR PERMANENT EXILE
7. Return or Permanent Exile?
Joseph Massad
8. The Obligations of Host Countries to Refugees under International Law: The
Case of Lebanon
Wadie Said
9. Meeting the Needs of Palestinian Refugees in Lebanon
Nahla Ghandour
PART IV REFUGEE CLAIMS AND THE SEARCH FOR A JUST SOLUTION
10. Reinterpreting Palestinian Refugee Rights underInternational Law
Susan Akram
11. The Right of Return: Sacred, Legal and Possible
Salman Abu-Sitta
12. Deconstructing the Link: Palestinian Refugees and JewishImmigrants from
Arab Countries
Jan Abu Shakrah
13. Valuing Palestinian Losses in Today’s Dollars
Atif Kubursi
14. A Programme for an Independent Rights Campaign
Ingrid JaradatGassner
15. Towards Convening a Congress of Return andSelf-Determination
Naseer Aruri
16. Lessons of Holocaust Compensation
Norman G. Finkelstein
Index