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Abbas to announce new stance on right of return
 Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas will tell militant Palestinian factions meeting in Cairo Tuesday that the right of return of refugees should be looked upon "realistically," and that not all Palestinian exiles will return to former homes in Israel and the territories, Israel Radio said, quoting the London-based Asharq al-Awsat newspaper. Palestinian sources told the paper that Abbas will tell the participants in the Cairo parley that the right of return cannot be fully implemented, and that those who cannot return should be granted compensation.Palestinian officials hope that the planned three days of discussions will conclude with a declaration of a hudna, or cease-fire, to which all Palestinian organizations will agree, including such militant groups as Hamas and the Islamic Jihad. Abbas is expected to ask the groups to agree to a truce even if Israel violates it. He will stress that he will hold firm in talks with Israel on other core issues, including Jerusalem, settlements, and release of Palestinian prisoners. The unofficial Palestinian position is that refugees who wish to do - primarily those who live in Lebanon - should be allowed to re-settle in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, and that those who choose not to, should receive compensation. Militant organizations have long held that Israel has no right to exist, and that once the Jewish state is dismantled, all refugees should return to their former homes and villages. Posted by: Fred 2005-03-15 |
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