PA Ministry of Information: Palestinian refugees were scattered by "Zionist gangs" in 1948
Headline: “The [PA] Ministry of Information: The refugees’ right [of return] is a basic principle that will not be harmed”
“The [PA] Ministry of Information emphasized: ‘The members of our people who lost their lands and were scattered to all ends of the earth by the Zionist gangs in 1948 are the permanent symbol of our national cause. [Their return is] the basic principle in our political lexicon which will not change or be harmed, and the sacred right that has been guaranteed by UN decisions, and particularly [UN] Resolution 194 (see note below –Ed.).’...It called on the [UN] Security Council, the UN General Assembly, and the European Union... to do justice, to enforce the international and UN decisions, to settle accounts with Israel over its crime and barbarity, and not to realize its [Israel’s] dream of abolishing UNRWA (UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East).”
UN resolution 194 (Chapter 11, Dec. 11, 1948) states that "the refugees wishing to return to their homes and live at peace with their neighbors should be permitted to do so at the earliest practicable date, and that compensation should be paid for the property of those choosing not to return." Palestinian leaders argue this means that all Arabs who left Israel during the war (hundreds of thousands) and their descendants (a few million) have a "right of return" to Israel. Israel argues that the resolution only calls for a limited return and only under certain conditions, especially focusing on the words "wishing to return... and live at peace with their neighbors."
“The [PA] Ministry of Information emphasized: ‘The members of our people who lost their lands and were scattered to all ends of the earth by the Zionist gangs in 1948 are the permanent symbol of our national cause. [Their return is] the basic principle in our political lexicon which will not change or be harmed, and the sacred right that has been guaranteed by UN decisions, and particularly [UN] Resolution 194 (see note below –Ed.).’...It called on the [UN] Security Council, the UN General Assembly, and the European Union... to do justice, to enforce the international and UN decisions, to settle accounts with Israel over its crime and barbarity, and not to realize its [Israel’s] dream of abolishing UNRWA (UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East).”
UN resolution 194 (Chapter 11, Dec. 11, 1948) states that "the refugees wishing to return to their homes and live at peace with their neighbors should be permitted to do so at the earliest practicable date, and that compensation should be paid for the property of those choosing not to return." Palestinian leaders argue this means that all Arabs who left Israel during the war (hundreds of thousands) and their descendants (a few million) have a "right of return" to Israel. Israel argues that the resolution only calls for a limited return and only under certain conditions, especially focusing on the words "wishing to return... and live at peace with their neighbors."