(Ynet News) Ariela Ringel Hoffman - "International law does not recognize the right of the Palestinian refugees and their descendents to return to their homes," according to a new position paper by prominent jurists Prof. Ruth Gavison and Prof. Yaffa Zilbershatz. "Any recognition of this right may tie Israel's hands and lead to mass lawsuits that will effectively mean the end of the Jewish state," they wrote. Israel "must not be tempted to recognize the right of return even as a symbolic gesture." Recognizing the right of return "may perpetuate the conflict." "The international community's position that it is preferable to fully settle disputes [rather] than to recognize refugees' right of return [is] supported by a recent ruling by the European Court of Human Rights. The court debated the right of the Greek refugees who were expelled from northern Cyprus in 1974, and five months ago it ruled that due to the time that has passed, it would be wrong to rectify the situation by allowing them to return to their homes and expelling those who currently live in the area."
2010-08-09 09:13:56Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive