Copyright

Salman Abu Sitta

Published On

2023-06-26

Page Range

pp. 9–20

Print Length

12 pages

Media

Illustrations1

1. The Key to Peace: The Return of the Refugees

  • Salman Abu Sitta (author)
Chapter of: For Palestine: Essays from the Tom Hurndall Memorial Lecture Group(pp. 9–20)
It is clear from the groundswell of indignation in the Arab world that their rulers must follow a policy of reciprocal action. Good relations could prevail only if respect for national interests is reciprocated, not to speak of respect for international law. This chapter shows how this could be possible. Israel pursues a policy of unattainable objectives. Its dream of numerical superiority is short-lived. Its practice of apartheid and racism is doomed. Its denial of human rights will not remain un-censured. Finally, its total dependence on its military might, and on US singular obedience to its every whim, is the epitome of short-sightedness. If Israel is to survive where it has been planted, it should uphold the common principles by which neighbours live: each on the territory he owns, not on the territory he occupies by force. The rights of each party must be respected.

Contributors

Salman Abu Sitta

(author)
https://www.plands.org/

Salman Abu Sitta, who gave the first Hurndall Memorial Lecture in 2005, is Founder and President of Palestine Land Society, London, which is dedicated to the documentation of Palestine’s land and People: website www.plands.org. He is the author of several books on Palestine, including the compendium Atlas of Palestine 1917-1966, English and Arabic editions, the Atlas of the Return Journey, the Atlas of Palestine 1871-1877 and Mapping my Return: A Palestinian Memoir (in English and Italian), the first Nakba memoir in English for southern Palestine. He has written over 400 papers and articles on the Palestinian refugees, the Right of Return, the history of al Nakba and human rights. His Palestinian address to Balfour is available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rz45l_qHdRw.