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174 Survey of Palestinian Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons (2006-2007) Meeting between British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Palestinian President of the Palestinian Authority Mahmoud Abbas, Ramallah, occupied West Bank, September 2006. © Anne Paq/Activestills. 5.3.5 The United Nations This letter, which reflects the official position of the Bush administration, also recognizes as a fait accompli the colonial regime in the occupied West Bank and its implications for a future Palestinian state. It states that “in light of new realities on the ground, including already existing major Israeli population centers, it is unrealistic to expect that the outcome of final status negotiations will be a full and complete return to the armistice lines of 1949.” 59 The United Nations has long been a “divided house” over the issue of Palestinian refugees and IDPs. 60 On the one hand, the UN General Assembly has taken a rights-based approach, reiterating the right of return, as well as rights to restitution and compensation of Palestinian refugees numerous times since it first passed Resolution 194 in December 1948. 61 It has emphasized Israel’s obligation to facilitate the return of all refugee women and children to their homes and properties, 62 and expresses annual regret that the repatriation of Palestinian refugees has still not occurred. In 2006, the General Assembly also condemned the ongoing internal displacement of civilians in the OPT. 63 On the other hand, the UN Security Council has never passed a resolution outlining its position on what a solution to the question of 1948 Palestinian refugees should entail. With regard to the 1967 Palestinian refugees, Resolution 237 called upon Israel to “facilitate the return of those inhabitants who have fled the areas since the outbreak of hostilities.” 64 However, this Resolution has been overshadowed by UN Security Council Resolution 242, which serves as the major reference for peace efforts between Israel, the Arab States, and the PLO. Resolution 242 simply calls for a “just settlement of the refugee problem”, 65 without providing further details. So in contrast to the General Assembly, within the Security Council and as a member of the Quartet, the UN seems to have adopted by default a politically-driven approach to resolving the Palestinian refugee question. 5.3.6 The European Union The European Union has not formulated a clear policy regarding Palestinian refugees and IDPs, nor has it explicitly recognized the right of return, or rights to restitution and compensation of Palestinian refugees in accordance with UN Resolution 194. 66 In the 2002 Seville Declaration, the European Union stated that “a just, viable, and agreed solution to the problem of the Palestinian refugees” should be found. 67 However, the concrete terms of such a solution were not defined. As a member of the Quartet, the European Union upholds the need to implement the Road Map in order to engage in meaningful final status negotiations, with the goal of achieving a two-state solution. The European Council has meanwhile stressed its concern about Israeli activities that contravene international law, including the construction of the Wall and the establishment of colonies (settlements). 68 The European Union has moreover stated that it will not recognize changes to Israel’s pre-1967 borders unless these are agreed to by both parties. 69 The European Parliament has “take[n] an extremely critical view of the European Council’s inability to take appropriate action” towards moving the peace process away from total political and diplomatic deadlock, 70 but has also passed resolutions that ignore the right of return of the 1948 Palestinian refugees. 71
5.3.7 The League of Arab States The League of Arab States (LAS), the primary regional organization in the Middle East and North Africa, has consistently called for the return of Palestinian refugees to their homes and properties. 72 The LAS framework for peace negotiations refers to UN Security Council Resolutions 242, 338, and 425, UN General Assembly Resolution 194, the Madrid-Oslo agreements, and the principle of land for peace. In March 2002, the LAS adopted the Arab Peace Initiative (Beirut Declaration). This calls for Israel to: (1) withdraw fully from the occupied Arab territory; (2) arrive at a Politics and the Question of Palestinian Refugees and IDPs just solution to the Palestine refugee problem in accordance with United Nations General Assembly Resolution 194(III); (3) accept the establishment of a Palestinian state in the occupied Palestinian territory. In exchange, Arab states shall: (1) consider the Arab-Israeli conflict at an end; (2) establish normal relations with Israel. 73 5.3.8 The Organization of Islamic Conference In 2006, the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) reaffirmed the responsibility of the United Nations with regard to the question of Palestine, “until it is resolved in all its aspects on the basis of international law, including a just resolution to the plight of the refugees in accordance with General Assembly resolution 194(III) of 11 December 1948.” 74 The OIC supports the Beirut Declaration and the Road Map, but has warned against “any guarantees or promises undermining the ... rights of the Palestinian people and rewarding the Israeli occupation which seeks to impose its conditions through the policy of fait accompli.” 75 5.3.9 The African Union and the Non-Aligned Movement The African Union supports the Beirut Declaration and states that no peace can be possible in the Middle East unless Israel fully withdraws from the occupied territory and enables the Palestinians to exercise their rights, in particular their right of return to their homes and property. In 2004, the Non-Aligned Movement reaffirmed its support for the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people. 76 5.4 Civil Society Initiatives for Refugee and IDP Rights 5.4.1 Participation by Palestinian refugees and IDPs General view of the Security Council meeting on the question of Palestine, New York, United States. April 1948. © UN Archives. In the absence of effective protection of their rights to return, restitution and compensation on the part of much of the international community and the United Nations, Palestinian refugees and IDPs have attempted to effect these rights by themselves. A small group of Palestinians, owners of properties confiscated by Israel in 1948, tried to raise their claims during the first round of peace conferences in Lausanne (1949) and Paris (1951), but were not given 175
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1948 - 2008: 60 Years of the Palest
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1948 - 2008: 60 Years of the Palest
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Table of Contents Executive Summary
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Chapter Five: Politics and the Ques
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Executive Summary Palestinian refug
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Campaigns for boycott, divestment a
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6. Not to recognize the illegal sit
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Glossary Absentee A person who, at
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Jewish State A term used by Israel
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Refugee Office A sub-office establi
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Voluntariness The Wall and its Asso
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From the Nakba to the Present Day -
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1.1 Background Figure 1.1: Estimate
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1.2 From Mandate to Partition From
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In September 1947, the UN Special C
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Map 1.3: 1948 Depopulated Palestini
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1.4 Displacement after the 1948 War
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Both The Guardian and The London Ti
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Al-Tanaf refugee camp at the Syrian
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Chapter Two ‘Aida refugee camp, o
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2.1 Background Population Numbers,
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Population Numbers, Distribution an
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2.2 Distribution Population Numbers
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Figure 2.3: Estimates of the Number
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Table 2.4: Registered Refugees in O
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Map 2.1: Palestinian refugee commun
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Table 2.7: Distribution of Palestin
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(hospitals and medical centres). Im
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Table 2.15: Percentage of Children
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Assistance Chapter Three UNRWA Food
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3.1 National, Regional and Internat
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Assistance According to LASC Resolu
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Assistance Table 3.1: Main sources
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UNRWA’s relationship with host go
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3.2 Main Forms of Assistance - Deve
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Assistance Palestinian refugees in
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Assistance 2005, the Syrian governm
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In Syria, the government provided l
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UNRWA Funding Assistance UNRWA’s
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Assistance and equipment in schools
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Table 3.9: Summary of Emergency App
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Assistance 27 Luigi De Martino, “
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Assistance 78 Report of the Commiss
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Protection Chapter Four Israeli sol
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Protection Almost 60 years after th
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Protection While there is no formal
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Protection immediate return of all
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2.2.2 The Right to Restitution Prot
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Protection It is clear from the phr
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Protection of All Forms of Racial D
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Protection Palestinian citizens. Fo
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) The right to protection from pers
Page 145 and 146: Palestinian from the West Bank and
Page 147 and 148: Protection Investigations conducted
Page 149 and 150: Protection six months, unless they
Page 151 and 152: Protection Palestinian refugees in
Page 153 and 154: Protection Palestinian refugees in
Page 155 and 156: Protection In other countries, Arti
Page 157 and 158: Protection rights. If the refugee i
Page 159 and 160: 4.6.2 The United Nations Conciliati
Page 161 and 162: UNCCP activities related to restitu
Page 163 and 164: Table 4.2: Estimates of Palestinian
Page 165 and 166: Protection the occupied territory [
Page 167 and 168: Protection The UNHCR recognizes 194
Page 169 and 170: Protection the Rights of the Child
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Page 177 and 178: Protection Bank and to those who le
Page 179 and 180: Protection Right to Work in Lebanon
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Page 183 and 184: Protection 213 UNHCR, 2005 UNHCR St
Page 185 and 186: Al-’Aqaba, a Palestinian village
Page 187 and 188: 5.1 Refugees/IDPs and Peace Agreeme
Page 189 and 190: Politics and the Question of Palest
Page 195: The Road Map provides an ambiguous
Page 201 and 202: Demonstration, London, 9 June 2007
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