PA Wants To Go Hamas Million-Man March One Better

Hamas' "Mass March" last month ended in a whimper, with only 5,000 Palestinian Arabs showing up. Now, the PA is planning on upping the ante and showing up Hamas with a call for all Palestinian Arabs to converge on Israel on its 60th anniversary.

The plan, drawn by Ziad Abu Ein, a senior Fatah operative and Deputy Minister for Prisoners' Affairs in the Palestinian Authority, states that the Palestinians have decided to implement United Nations Resolution 194 regarding the refugees.

Article 11 of the resolution, which was passed in December 1948, says 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 and for loss of or damage to property which, under principles of international law or in equity, should be made good by the Governments or authorities responsible."

Of course, the fact that "live at peace" is being as loosely defined as the use of the term "refugee" is only going to compound the problem. As if the "peace process" is being rewritten:

Entitled "The Initiative of Return and Coexistence," the plan suggests that the PA has abandoned a two-state solution in favor of one state where all Arabs and Jews would live together.

"The Palestinians, backed by all those who believe in peace, coexistence, human rights and the UN resolutions, shall recruit all their energies and efforts to return to their homeland and live with the Jews in peace and security," the plan says.

If the means of bringing peace to the region can be so easily and quickly redone, it is clear that the Palestinians are not taking the idea of real peace seriously to begin with.

Apparently the plan has the backing of many PA leaders in Ramallah--no news yet if Hamas is going to begrudgingly join the bandwagon.

The plan calls on the refugees to return to Israel on May 14, 2008 with their suitcases and tents so that they could settle in their former villages and towns. The refugees are also requested to carry UN flags upon their return and to be equipped with their UNRWA-issued ID cards.

The Arab countries hosting Palestinian refugees are requested to facilitate the return of the refugees by opening their borders and allowing them to march toward Israel. The plan specifically refers to Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and Iraq, whose governments are asked to provide logistic support to allow the refugees to carry out their mission.

It remains to be seen whether the distaste of the Arab world for the Palestinian Arabs will outweigh their desire to out of their way to make trouble for Israel--the Jordanian government in particular may want to avoid the venture for fear of giving Palestinians ideas about joining their fellow Palestinians in Jordan.

Now, in the interests of reciprocity, perhaps these same Arab countries would be interested in making reparations for the Jews that were forced out of their countries.

I'm sure the group Justice For Jews From Arab Countries would be happy to hear from them.

[Hat tip: Baruch Who]

Crossposted at Soccer Dad

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