WASHINGTON, DC — Khalil E. Jahshan, Vice President of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) submitted to the Bush Administration a petition signed by 10,000 individuals in support of the Palestinian right of return. The petition, addressed to President George W. Bush, called on the United States government to “recognize and promote the right of return of the Palestinian refugees” and to “uphold a single standard on the human rights of refugees.”
The text of the petition, which was hand-delivered to White House officials on May 15, marking the 53rd anniversary of the dispersion and dispossession of the Palestinian people, reminded President Bush that UN General Assembly Resolution 194 of 11 December 1948 provides 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.”
Jahshan said that “Despite the clarity of international law regarding the right of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes and receive compensation for loss or damage to personal property, approximately five million Palestinian refugees continue to be denied justice fifty-three years after their ordeal began.” The ADC vice president added: “It’s high time for the United States to reassess its policy toward the Palestinian right of return by adopting a consistent and uniform position regarding all refugees whether in Bosnia, Kosova, Rwanda or Palestine.” ADC has just published its Issue Paper 30, The Palestinian Right of Return, which examines the issue in depth.