Despite past failures to reach a negotiated final status agreement with Israel, we remain committed to negotiations to achieve a permanent and durable resolution of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict... READ MORE
- Article 49(6) of the Fourth Geneva
Convention, ratified by Israel in 1951, states: “The Occupying Power
shall not deport or transfer parts of its own civilian population into
the territory it occupies.”
- In its July 9, 2004, Advisory
Opinion on the Wall, the International Court of Justice held that the
Wall, along with settlements, violates international law. It called upon
Israel to halt its construction, to dismantle portions already built,
and to provide reparations to Palestinians for damages it has caused.
- The Rome Statute of the
International Criminal Court of 1998 (Article 8(b)(viii)) defines “the
transfer directly or indirectly by the Occupying Power of parts of its
own civilian population into the territory it occupies” as a War Crime
indictable by the International Criminal Court.
- United Nations (UN) Security Council Resolution 465 (1980): “Israel’s policy and practices of settling parts of its population and new immigrants in [the Palestinian and other Arab territories occupied since 1967, including Jerusalem] constitute a flagrant violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention… and a serious obstruction to achieving a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the Middle East.” The resolution calls on Israel to “dismantle the existing settlements.”
Jerusalem: In
conformity with international law and as stated in the Declaration of
Principles, all of Jerusalem (and not only East Jerusalem) is subject to
permanent status negotiations. With respect to East Jerusalem, because
it remains part of the territory occupied since 1967, Israel has no
right to any part of it.
As the political, economic and spiritual
heart of our nation, there can be no Palestinian state without East
Jerusalem, in particular the Old City and the surrounding area, as its
capital. We are committed to respecting freedom of worship at, and
access to, religious sites within East Jerusalem for everyone. All
possible measures will be taken to protect such sites and preserve their
dignity.
Beyond ensuring our sovereignty over East
Jerusalem, we will consider a number of solutions, as long as they are
in our interest and in line with international law. For example,
Jerusalem may be an open city for both Palestinians and Israelis-the
capital of two nations. Whatever the specific solution, East Jerusalem
is essential to the economic, political and cultural viability of our
future state. There can be no integrated Palestinian national economy
and, thus no sustainable resolution of the conflict, without a
negotiated solution on Jerusalem that guarantees our rights.
Refugees: No issue is more emblematic of the 20th century Palestinian experience than the plight of the approximately seven million Palestinian refugees. An estimated 70 percent of all Palestinians worldwide are refugees, while one out of three refugees worldwide is Palestinian. Approximately half of all Palestinian refugees are stateless. For decades, Israel has denied Palestinian refugees the right to return, violating UNGA Resolution 194, while providing for unfettered Jewish immigration to Israel.
Palestinian refugees lack the most basic human rights, suffer from inadequate international protection and assistance, and bear the brunt of the ongoing conflict with Israel. A just resolution of the refugee issue – one that recognizes the right of return and provides a range of meaningful choices to refugees – is essential to a successful negotiated solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. A Brief History of the Refugee Issue
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