We choose to put the return of the refugees atthe center of the agenda of our conference as we see it as the first and basiccomponent of any solution. When we speak of al-Awda - "the Return" - we mean aconcrete plan that will assure the return of the refugees to all the areas fromwhich they were expelled. We want a genuine approach to the refugees' cause asthe holders of rights, as part of the Palestinian people and as human beings.It is not enough to dismiss their cause by an abstract verbal recognition oftheir rights, without providing the practical framework for theirimplementation.
IJAN also welcomes the decisions that were made at theconference, as captured in the concluding statement of Abnaa elBalad, to worktowards a growing local and international coalition that would advance anddevelop the vision of the one democratic secular state, including first andforemost representatives of the Palestinian refugees and Palestinians in theWest Bank and Gaza, and we look forward to providing our support for this work.
Links:
On the results of the 2nd Haifa Conference / Statement ofAbnaa elBalad Movement :
Declaration of the Preparatory Committee:
The Haifa Conference for the Right of Return And theSecular Democratic State in Palestine Initial Report By: Yoav Bar
