Abbas: Palestinian "right of return is a deposit entrusted to me and a red line which cannot be compromised on or neglected, regardless of how great the sacrifices may be"
Headline: “Abu Houli: History will not go backwards, the Israeli occupation will eventually pass from the world, the refugees’ return is inevitable”
“The PLO Department of Refugee Affairs and the [PLO] Supreme National Committee to Commemorate Nakba Day held a rally yesterday evening, Monday [May 16, 2022], to commemorate the 74th anniversary of the Nakba (i.e., “the catastrophe,” Palestinian term for the establishment of the State of Israel) at Al-Azhar University in Gaza City.
Thousands of civilians participated in the rally, and PLO Executive Committee member and head of the [PLO] Department of Refugee Affairs Ahmad Abu Houli was present there…
Abu Houli… conveyed the blessings of [PA] President Mahmoud Abbas, who emphasized that the right of return is a deposit entrusted to him and a red line from the perspective of the Palestinian leadership, which cannot be compromised on or neglected, regardless of how great the sacrifices may be.
Abu Houli emphasized that the Palestinian people has proven to the world that it refuses to forget and refuses to concede on the right of return, and that it will continue to adhere to its national rights, while preserving in its memory the names of its cities and villages, regardless of how they have changed. He added that there is no alternative to the right of return as it was confirmed by the resolutions of the international institutions, and especially UN Resolution 194 (see note below -Ed.).
Abu Houli continued: ‘History will never go backwards, and the Israeli occupation – regardless of how it exaggerates with its aggression and tyranny – will eventually pass from the world. The Palestinian refugees’ return to their lands is inevitable.’”
Nakba Day - Palestinians commemorate Nakba Day on May 15, the day after the establishment of Israel. On May 15, 1948, combined forces from Egypt, Jordan, Syria and Iraq joined local Arab forces in an attempt to eradicate the newly established State of Israel. The Nakba (Arabic = catastrophe) refers to the establishment of Israel, and the subsequent defeat in the war, including the killing and displacement of Arab civilians that occurred during the war.
UN Resolution 194 (Chapter 11, Dec. 11, 1948) states that "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, and that compensation should be paid for the property of those choosing not to return." Palestinian leaders argue this means that all Arabs who left Israel during the war (hundreds of thousands) and their descendants (a few million) have a "right of return" to Israel. Israel argues that the resolution only calls for a limited return and only under certain conditions, especially focusing on the words "wishing to return... and live at peace with their neighbors."