Al-Awda New York, The Palestine Right to Return Coalition

Al-AWDA ACTION ALERT: DON'T LET ETHNIC CLEANSING WIN
DEFEND THE RIGHT TO RETURN AS NEGOTIATIONS RESUME ON BASIS OF "CLINTON PLAN"

January 3, 2001

PLO Chairman Yasir Arafat has accepted the joint U.S.-American formula for a final settlement with "reservations," following meetings in Washington with President Clinton. The U.S.-Israeli proposals, also known as the "Clinton Plan" call for the abrogation of the Palestinian refugees' right to return as well as the annexation of parts of the occupied territories to Israel.

Chairman Arafat has also reportedly agreed to twelve days of intensive talks under the auspices of the United States. Recent experience has demonstrated that such "talks" are a method to put the PLO Chairman under extreme pressure and isolation.

It is not clear what Chairman Arafat has accepted or not accepted, however the Clinton proposals as widely leaked clearly and explicitly call for the cancellation of the right to return for Palestinians forcibly expelled from their homes in 1947 and after.

We call on Palestinians all over the world, and their allies to once again raise their voices in defense of the right to return. We urge you to send messages by email and fax to Chairman Arafat, President Clinton and the European Union strongly stressing the following points:

TALKING POINTS:

• The Palestinian right to return is an inalienable right, guaranteed by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, The Geneva Conventions and UN Resolution 194.

• According to international law, no agreement, negotiations or parties which purport to trade away the right to return or any other inalienable rights can have any legal basis and cannot bind or compel the Palestinian people to end the struggle for the fulfillment of their rights.

• Any attempt to abrogate the rights of Palestinian refugees would set a disastrous precedent in international human rights law, and provide a clear signal that ethnic cleansers who expel civilians from their homes, steal their property, and prevent refugees returning for long enough can expect to have their illegal territorial conquests blessed with international legitimacy.

• Implementation of the right to return as spelled out in UN resolutions is the core to a just resolution of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

PLEASE SEND YOUR LETTERS TO:

Mr Bill Clinton
United States President
Fax: 1-202-456-2461
Email: president@whitehouse.gov

Mr. Yasir Arafat, Chairman
Palestine Liberation Organization
c/o PLO Office in Washington, DC
Fax: 1-212-517-2377
Email: palwash1@aol.com

or
c/o PLO Mission at the United Nations, New York
Email: mission@palestine-un.org
Fax: 1-202-887-5337

or
c/o Office of PLO Chairman Arafat
Occupied Gaza Strip
Fax: +972 7 284 1947

Mr. Romano Prodi, President
European Union
Email: romano.prodi@cec.eu.int

Please cc your letters to: Al-Awda-Alerts@mail.com

Al-Awda Alerts Committee:
Ali Abunimah, USA
Arjan El Fassed, Netherlands
Zahi Damuni, USA

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