Israeli Arabs who left their homes in 1948 demand right of return

Headline: “The association of Palestinian Interior expellees (i.e., Palestinian Interior is a Palestinian term for Israel) met with a delegation from a Spanish organization”

“The Association for the Defense of the Rights of the [Internally] Displaced (ADRID) met with Spanish activists from the Unadikum organization, which includes members from a number of Spanish cities.

During the meeting, head of the association’s board of directors Muhammad Kayal presented a detailed explanation regarding the Palestinian Nakba (i.e., “the catastrophe,” the Palestinian term for the establishment of the State of Israel) during the years 1947-1948, which caused two-thirds of the Palestinian people to become refugees and expellees, and emphasized that ‘The Nakba continues to this day.’ …

He also emphasized ‘the importance and necessity of implementing the refugees and expellees’ right of return to the villages and cities from which they were expelled in the years of the Nakba, and the return of their property according to the UN resolutions, and specifically [UN] Resolution 194 (see note below –Ed.), and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.’”

UN Resolution 194 (Chapter 11, Dec. 11, 1948) states that "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."