Saturday, May 03, 2008

100,000 Palestinian refugees set to march toward northern border

More than 100,000 Palestinian refugees living in Lebanon are expected to
march toward the border with Israel on May 14 in the context of the Palestinian Authority's plan to mark the 60th anniversary of the establishment of Israel, PA officials told The Jerusalem Post Thursday.
The PA leadership has, meanwhile, announced that it would boycott any world
leader who arrived in Israel to participate in the anniversary celebrations. The officials said the boycott would be a temporary action, adding that the Palestinians would not receive the guests in the Palestinian territories during their visits to Israel. The PA ambassador to Beirut, Zaki Abbas, has been working in the past few weeks to recruit refugees from various refugee camps Lebanon were expected to take part in the march toward Israel's northern
border.

He added that refugees from the West Bank and Gaza Strip would also
participate in the events by staging marches toward Israeli checkpoints and
border crossings.

At the meeting in Al-Bireh, the organizers strongly condemned world leaders
and dignitaries who were planning to participate in the Israeli celebrations. "This is the day when the Palestinians were uprooted from their lands," they added. "It would have been better if these leaders visited the refugee camps which are the victims of Israel's so-called independence."

The plan calls on the refugees to return to Israel with suitcases and tents
so that they can settle down in their former villages. The refuges are
requested to carry UN flags upon their return and to be equipped with their
UNRWA-issued ID cards.

The plan asks Arab countries hosting the refugees to facilitate their return
by opening their borders. The plan specifically refers to Jordan, Syria,
Lebanon and Iraq.

Palestinian refugees living in the US, EU, Canada and Latin America have
been requested to use their foreign passports to fly to Ben- Gurion Airport,
while dozens of ships carrying refugees will converge on Israeli port

Selected comments:[Dr. Aaron Lerner - IMRA: Clear Israeli orders to shoot the invading mob.
That's the answer.
Here is a classic example of the deterrent power of a clear position
presented in a way that leaves no doubt:
A young man from Beit Hanoun told me on the eve of the "breakthrough" that
wasn't: "We know the army will shoot to kill, and that is why no one will
take the risk."
Amira Hass writes: "The correct question is not whether and how the
Palestinians are prepared to be killed but rather to what extent we Israelis
are prepared to kill."

The answer on Sunday February 24, 2008 - that prevented violence - was
"Israelis are prepared to kill as many Palestinians as it will take to stop
them from invading."]
The breakthrough that did not happen

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