Ma'an, May 13, 2010



The catastrophe continues. As the 62nd anniversary of the expulsion of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from their homes looms, rights continue to be violated and a solution is more urgent than ever.



A solution based on UN General Assembly Resolution 194 for Palestinian refugees is a must. The creation of a Palestinian state on the 1967 border, with East Jerusalem as its capital, is a must. Releasing all Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails is a must. Solving all permanent-status issues is a must.



The international community must draw important lessons from the Nakba and make of this anniversary a date when the world upholds international law. No state is above the law, and the international community must end Israeli belligerence and disregard for international law.



Sixty-two years ago tomorrow, more than 726,000 Palestinians were forcibly displaced from their homes and lands to make way for the State of Israel. They have been prevented from returning ever since. Hundreds of Palestinian villages and neighborhoods were destroyed. Today, over seven million Palestinian refugees live in exile. Of those, more than 1.3 million Palestinians continue to live in 58 UN-administered refugee camps.



In other conflicts, refugee rights have been honored and respected, including the right of return, restitution and compensation. In stark contrast, however, Israel refuses to even recognize the Palestinian right of return, thus continuing to deny the refugees� basic rights.



The Palestinian Nakba continues to this day, as Israeli practices and policies of evictions, home demolitions, deportations, settlement activities, wall-building as well as closure and siege in both the occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip generate new waves of displaced persons.



The international community must assume its responsibility in protecting the tenets and principles of international law by pressuring Israel to immediately end these policies.



The author is the chief negotiator for the Palestine Liberation Organization.











