Abbas to refugees: All five million refugees will have option to "return to Israel, and hold Israeli citizenship"
Official PA TV broadcast PA President Mahmoud Abbas’ speech to members of Fatah’s Al-Shabiba Al-Tullabiya student movement at the Presidential headquarters.
PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas: “The refugee’s right is a personal right. In other words, you are a refugee and your son is a refugee – you give up but your son doesn’t give up, or vice versa – he is free [to do so]. When we say this is a personal choice – he chooses. We said he can choose between [the following]: a. he can staywhere he is – in Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, wherever he wants – and receive compensation. Of course. Or, [b.] he can go to another country, with the consent of that country – ‘I want to emigrate to Canada’ or wherever you want… and receive compensation. Or – c. [he] can decide to go back to the State of Palestine, and receive compensation. Or decide to return to the State of Israel, and receive compensation, and [then] return, of course.
These are the options we will present to the Palestinians, and they will choose: [Do] you want to stay here? You are welcome. [Do] you want to go there? You are welcome. Do you want to go to Palestine; do you want to return and receive Israeli citizenship – that’s how it is…
All the refugees and their descendants, who currently number 5 million, are from the 1948 [territories] (i.e., Israel). In other words, there are no refugees from Nablus or Ramallah – they are all from Tiberias, Safed, Acre, Nazareth, Jaffa, Be’er Sheva, or from those areas. So, you’ll return to Israel, and hold Israeli citizenship.”
PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas: “The refugee’s right is a personal right. In other words, you are a refugee and your son is a refugee – you give up but your son doesn’t give up, or vice versa – he is free [to do so]. When we say this is a personal choice – he chooses. We said he can choose between [the following]: a. he can staywhere he is – in Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, wherever he wants – and receive compensation. Of course. Or, [b.] he can go to another country, with the consent of that country – ‘I want to emigrate to Canada’ or wherever you want… and receive compensation. Or – c. [he] can decide to go back to the State of Palestine, and receive compensation. Or decide to return to the State of Israel, and receive compensation, and [then] return, of course.
These are the options we will present to the Palestinians, and they will choose: [Do] you want to stay here? You are welcome. [Do] you want to go there? You are welcome. Do you want to go to Palestine; do you want to return and receive Israeli citizenship – that’s how it is…
All the refugees and their descendants, who currently number 5 million, are from the 1948 [territories] (i.e., Israel). In other words, there are no refugees from Nablus or Ramallah – they are all from Tiberias, Safed, Acre, Nazareth, Jaffa, Be’er Sheva, or from those areas. So, you’ll return to Israel, and hold Israeli citizenship.”