President Obama stated his "demand" that Israel must talk about adhering to the "Road Map" and Oslo peace accords- "revisiting" the settlements issue and "addressing" the Gaza humanitarian crisis.
I believe the time has passed for "soft-shoeing" our dismayal of Israeli actions and our so-called peace initiatives addressing both sides!
Israel is a brutal occupying force committing atrocities and apartheid policies while claiming eminent domain on another people's territories.
Just a reminder- Israel was recognized as a sovereign nation on the condition the native people's land was returned to them.
We all know the results of this United Nations conditional declaration!
The Article 11 declaration statement is quite clear- Israel, abide by the U.N. directives and you will be a member in good standing.
The following is the statement and the ensuing response. Please note Israel "offered" to repatriate 100,000 refugees. At the time, there were over 750,000 Palestinians whose properties were violently stolen.
Article 11 reads:
Resolves that the refugees wishing to return to their homes and live at peace with their neighbours 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.
The exact meaning and timing of enforcement of the resolution were disputed from the beginning.
Since the late 1960s, Article 11 has increasingly been quoted by those who interpret it as a basis for the "right of return" of Palestinian refugees.
Israel has usually contested this reading, pointing out that the text merely states that the refugees "should be permitted" to return to their homes at the "earliest practicable date" and this recommendation applies only to those "wishing to... live at peace with their neighbors".[2] The one exception was at the Lausanne Conference, 1949, where a Joint Protocol was accepted by the Israeli government and the Arab delegates on May 12, 1949. Israel, under pressure due to its desire to become a member of the United Nations, agreed in principle to the repatriation of all of the Palestinian refugees.[citation needed] After Israel had become a member of the United Nations, it offered to repatriate 100,000 refugees. This offer was rejected by the Arabs,[who?] and subsequently withdrawn by Israel.[2] David Ben-Gurion, the first Prime Minister of Israel, insisted in an interview with the members of the Conciliations Commission that as long as Israel could not count on the dedication of any Arab refugees to remain "at peace with their neighbors" - a consequence, he contended, of the Arab states' unwillingness to remain at peace with the state of Israel - resettlement was not an obligation for his country.[3]
Supporters of this line of reasoning sometimes also raise the question of a large number of displaced Jews — usually quoted between 750,000 and 850,000 — which they argue could potentially qualify as refugees to which Resolution 194 might then be applied.[4][5][6][7][8]
It is estimated that about 4 million Palestinians living in refugee communities scattered mainly in the West Bank, Gaza Strip, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon could claim a right of return under this article.[9]
For all practical purposes, the right of return seems impossible now. The Israeli Government appears to NOT even consider this in any peace initiative, as long as President Obama, Secretary of State Clinton and our subservient U.S. Congress "soft-shoes" Netanhyahu and AIPAC/Rep. Harman/Pelosi, et al...
What I believe would work as a lasting Middle East peace would be an earth-shattering recognition of the Democratically-elected Hamas-led Government, demand the Israeli Government stop all settlement building and property destruction. Israel must enter into reality-based negotiations with the elected government of the Palestinian Territories. Understanding that security issues may be "paramount" to Israeli concerns, both the Palestinians and Israelis must be militarily arms embargoed and United Nations peacekeeping troops placed along all successfully negotiated borders.
The U.S. must use our annual financial aid package to Israel as the "carrot-on-the-stick" to coerce Israel to commit to these peace demands!
Will we see really see this happen? We Americans who feel passionately about "truth, justice and the American way" will boot out our corrupted Congress and hold our "Change We Can Believe In" President accountable!
The days of complaining are over! The "sheeple" we are NO MORE!
I am getting involved! I am spreading a message, one that I am evolving as I become more involved! I will participate in "Change We Can Believe In"! Only that change does not begin in Washington!
