August 23, 2005
Statement From Al-Awda's Coordinating Committee
It is with sadness that the elected Coordinating Committee of
Al-Awda, The Palestine Right to Return Coalition, declares that, as of
August 8, 2005, the Connecticut chapter is no longer part of or affiliated
with our organization. This measure was approved by more than a
two-third majority of Al-Awda's chapter and action committees'
elected representatives, which constitute the Coordinating Committee. It was
prompted by the CT chapter undertaking of actions that
were at variance with the organization's raison d'etre, namely to uphold,
bolster and advance the Palestinian refugees' Right of Return (ROR)
irrespective of political and organizational considerations.
Two actions in particular reflect the political and organizational gap that
developed between the former CT chapter, on the one hand, and the vast
majority of elected members of the Coordinating Committee, on the other:
First, Al-Awda, The Palestine Right to Return Coalition, is and has been an
official member of the September 24 National Coalition for the March on
Washington. The purpose of this march is to oppose the occupation of Iraq
and includes support for Palestinian rights, first and foremost the right of
all refugees and their descendents to return to their original towns and
villages in pre-1948 Palestine. That is why the Coordinating Committee was
shocked when it became aware of a letter from the CT chapter
leadership to A.N.S.W.E.R. requesting that it replace the Right of Return
slogan with one calling for an end to Israeli occupation (see copy of letter
below).
This action of the CT chapter leadership was undertaken without prior
coordination or discussion with other members of the Coordinating Committee,
which had already elected its own representative to the September 24
National Coalition!
Leaders of the former CT chapter were also fully aware that the main
disagreement between A.N.S.W.E.R. and UFPJ has been over the
Right of Return, with the former insisting on its inclusion, and the latter
demanding its exclusion.
Second, the leadership of the former CT chapter has consistently refused to endorse,
let alone abide by Al-Awda's Points of Unity. These Points were adopted
democratically by the overwhelming majority of participants at Al-Awda's
2004 annual convention in New York City. These Unity principles were also
ratified by two-thirds of the organization's elected chapter and action
committee representatives following that convention. Instead, the
representatives of the former CT chapter stated that their chapter was under
no obligation to abide by Al-Awda's Points of Unity. Indeed, the chapter did
not abide by these Points in their statements and activities, allowing and
supporting the advocacy of positions at odds with these Points, while using
Al-Awda's name.
Additionally, the former CT chapter refused to abide by other democratic
decisions of Al-Awda's Coordinating Committee, in particular, the resolution
adopted in May 2005 that stated, in part, that "no chapter of Al-Awda is to
formally associate itself, nor establish any formal relationship with the
U.S. Campaign to End the Occupation, the United for Peace and Justice
Coalition, or any organization that refuses to support
the right of all Palestinian refugees and their descendants to return to
their original homes, farms, villages and towns in any part of Palestine as
it existed before the establishment of 'Israel' in 1948, and to
compensation."
In keeping with Al-Awda's Points of Unity, this was an overwhelming
collective decision taken by the Coordinating Committee of Al-Awda in order
to safeguard the Right to Return as the core issue within the Palestine
solidarity and Palestinian movements in the United States. Organizations,
such as the U.S. Campaign to End the Occupation and UFPJ,
have so far either failed to support the right to return of all Palestinian
refugees and their descendants to their original homes, lands and
properties, or have supported it conditionally, urging Palestinian "compromise" on fundamental, inalienable, non-negotiable rights. UFPJ has
gone so far as to advocate silencing the Palestinian cause and the Right to
Return within the antiwar movement. In spite of this, the former CT chapter
continued to lend its name and endorsement to the activities of these
organizations. In fact, the CT chapter has been a dues paying member of the
U.S. Campaign to End the Occupation as well as a member of UFPJ and is now
represented on their steering committees.
These political and organizational gaps, including refusal to abide by
collective democratic decisions of the Coordinating Committee, have led to
the unfortunate but necessary expulsion of the CT chapter, per the authority
afforded the Coordinating Committee according to the by-laws of this
organization.
_____________________________________
The following is the text of the offending letter from the former CT chapter
to the A.N.S.W.E.R. coalition. The letter was co-signed by the chair and
co-chair of the CT chapter:
"We are the Connecticut Chapter of Al-Awda, the Palestine Right to Return
Coalition. We appreciate that you have made the Right to Return a key part
of your call for your rally on the 24th. However, we believe it is important
to have one united anti-war march and rally on the 24th of September. We
believe it is essential to expose the influence of Israeli militarism as a
factor in the U.S. war on Iraq and attacks on Iran and to show the roots of
this militarism in Israeli oppression of Palestinians. "
"At present UFPJ is making no connection to Israel/Palestine in its call for
its anti-war weekend and we are writing to them about their error and
organizing others to do the same. As one move towards UFPJ/ANSWER unity we
insist that there be a good common slogan on Israel and the rights of
Palestinians. "
"While there are many formulations on Israeli militarism and Palestinian
oppression that might be unifying there is one that is obvious, the call
that was in the unity statement for the March 2004 UFPJ/ANSWER
demonstration, "end the occupation of Palestine". We ask you to contact
UFPJ and propose that this statement once
again be the basis for unity. "
_____________________________________
Al-Awda, the Palestine Right to Return Coalition Points of Unity
Points of Unity
1. This Coalition affirms that the Palestinian Arab people, regardless
of their religious affiliation, are indigenous to Palestine.
Therefore, they are entitled to live anywhere in Palestine which
encompasses present-day "Israel", the West Bank and Gaza Strip. This
Coalition regards the "Israeli" definition of Jewish nationals,
granting exclusive rights to citizenship and land to any Jew from
anywhere in the world, as part of the racism and discrimination
inherent in Zionist ideology which underlies the policies and laws of
the settler state of "Israel".
2. This Coalition unequivocally supports the rights of all Palestinian
refugees to return to their original towns, villages and lands
anywhere in Palestine from which they were expelled. This Coalition
also unequivocally supports the rights of all Palestinian refugees to
compensation for damages inflicted on their property and lives, and to
restitution of all destroyed and confiscated property. All
Palestinians are entitled to the rights to self-determination, to
political, economic and civil equality, and to live in a single
democratic state for all its citizens in all of Palestine. The
Palestinian national identity encompasses more than 5.5 million people
living in exile, more than 2.5 million living in the West Bank and
Gaza Strip, and more than 1.2 million living within the areas of
Palestine controlled by "Israel" since 1948.
3. This Coalition firmly stands against the continued displacement of
Palestinians, the construction of illegal Jewish-only colonies in the
form of residential settlements, the racist confiscation of land and
the demolition of homes since 1948. This Coalition firmly stands
against the collective punishment of Palestinians, and all violations
of Palestinian civil, economic, political, national and human rights.
This Coalition abhors and condemns the use of massacres and abuse of
civilians to further the expansion of "Israel" to the detriment of
Palestinian society.
4. This Coalition supports the struggle for the liberation of
Palestine and views it as a struggle against all forms of colonialism.
This struggle is inseparable from the universal and labor struggles
for social, economic and national equality, development, justice and
freedom against an imposed global new world order. This Coalition
upholds all of the values enshrined in the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights, the Fourth Geneva Convention, the International Covenant
on Civil and Political Rights, the International Covenant on Economic,
Social and Cultural Rights, the International Convention on the
Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, the Convention on
the Political Rights of Women, and the International Convention on the
Suppression and Punishment of the Crime of Apartheid. This Coalition
also upholds the African Charter of Human and People's Rights, the
Comprehensive Anti-Apartheid Act (Pub. L. 99-440) and the American
Convention on Human Rights.
5. This Coalition respects, recognizes and supports the central role
of Palestinian women in the struggle for national liberation and the
right to return. This includes the leadership of Palestinian women in
the right to return movement.
6. This Coalition will work to educate the public about "Israeli"
injustices the US government subsidizes with billions of dollars
annually. Until the dismantlement of the exclusionary and racist
character of "Israel", and until all Palestinians are granted the
right to return and achieve equality, this Coalition is united in
working for and demanding:
* An end to all US political, military and economic aid to "Israel"
* The divestment of all public and private entities from all "Israeli"
corporations and American corporations with subsidiaries operating
within "Israel"
* An end to the investment of Labor Union members' pension funds in "Israel"
* The boycott of all "Israeli" products
* The right to return for all Palestinian refugees to their original
towns, villages and lands with compensation for damages inflicted on
their property and lives
* The right for all Palestinian refugees to full restitution of all
confiscated and destroyed property
* The formation of an independent, democratic state for all its citizens
in all of Palestine |