On Wednesday, 27 February 2008, the General Secretariat of the Arab Organization for Human Rights (AOHR) organized a large regional symposium to commemorate the 60^th anniversary of the 1948 Nakba. The symposium was entitled, “60 years of the Nakba: Palestinian People’s Rights….to where?” Approximately 100 experts, academics, and human rights activists participated in the event and  discussed human rights issues in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT); the prospects of the Palestinian issue in light of regional and international developments and the Jewish character of Israel; as well as the future of the Palestinian issue: compromise or conflict.

The AOHR Secretary-General, Mohammad Fa’eq, facilitated the symposium, with interventions from Salah El-Deen Hafith (Secretary-General of the Arab Journalists Union), Raji Sourani (PCHR Director), Mahdi Abd El-Hadi (PASSIA Director), and Amir Makhoul (President of Itijah in Israel).

Mohammad Fa’eq opened the symposium by describing the development of international interaction with the Palestinian issue from the perspective of the rights of the Palestinian people to that of “land for peace.” The “land for peace” principle was exemplified by Barak’s offer in Camp David II, the Road Map, and the Annapolis conference, all of which do not fulfill the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people from the standpoint of International Human Rights Law and international decisions. He reminded that UNSC decision 242 aimed to nullify the results of the Israeli aggression of 1967; however, it was manipulated in the 1991 Madrid peace conference as a basis for negotiations. After the outbreak of the second Intifada, negotiations centered on going back to the 28 September 2000 status. Fa’eq warned of the dangers of Palestinian fragmentation, and how that is used internationally in favor of the Israeli occupation to undermine the rights of the Palestinian people and their statehood.

He called upon Arab governments to break the siege imposed on the Palestinian people, especially the Gaza Strip. He pointed to the irony that the 60^th anniversary of the Nakba is also the 60^th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, violated by the Israeli occupation.

Raji Sourani expressed regret of the intentional handling of Palestinian rights from a humanitarian perspective whilst issues of ending the occupation and self determination were ignored, as well as the international community tolerating Israel's continual violations of the Fourth Geneva Convention (1949). He pointed to serious Israeli violations of the Convention such as the Annexation Wall, settlement building, and judaization of Jerusalem. Sourani stated that the year 2007 was the worst in the history of the Palestinian issue, especially in light of the internal Palestinian split.

Sourani listed serious Israeli violations of human rights and International Humanitarian Law. He stated that these violations need international action to hold the perpetrators responsible, adding that the Palestinian people will “not forgive or forget.” With regards to the desire of Gaza residents to immigrate, Sourani pointed that 98% of Gaza residents who crossed into Egypt returned voluntarily. He stated that the shadow of uprooting and refuge makes Palestinians stick to their homes and land, preferring death in the house to leaving. He also pointed that the relationship between the Gaza Strip and Egypt do not allow for a conflict between both.

Dr. Mahdi Abd El-Hadi warned against Arab reliance on international actors to resolve the conflict. He pointed that these actors do not want to resolve the issue justly, pointing to the US manipulation of the issue as a form of combating terrorism. He pointed that the US handles the Palestinian issue in the context of the Iraqi issue, nuclear Iranian issue, and the new Middle East. He reminded that the US and international stance regarding the Hamas election victory and the national unity government clearly showed the extent of double standards, and the wish to manage the conflict not resolve it. Abd El-Hadi warned against forming Arab-Israeli alliances to confront the Iranian nuclear project. He pointed that the disputes between regional powers (Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Syria) serve the US. Finally, he called for early municipal and legislative elections to end the internal Palestinian split.

Amir Makhoul warned against recognizing the Jewish character of Israel, which will lead to undermining more minority rights and expose the Palestinian minority to additional risks. He pointed that Israel considers its Palestinian minority as a demographic and strategic threat to its existence. Recognizing the Jewish character of Israel will lead to the judaization of Jerusalem and end the issue of right of return and compensation for refugees. He pointed to the role of the Palestinian minority in Israel in supporting fellow Palestinians in Jerusalem and the OPT. Makhoul stated that Arab willingness to establish ties with Israel is a cornerstone of Israel’s security policy, and will be a strategic achievement for Israel.

In his speech, Salah El-Deen Hafith stated that the Nakba was not the beginning. It was preceded by several Nakbas. He pointed that the region is still living the consequences of these Nakbas. He pointed to the regression from liberating Palestine to liberating what is left of Palestine to accepting a fragmented state to a dream of independence to accepting a Palestinian canton in the Gaza Strip. He stated that the Arab world is responsible for this. In addition, he stated that the Nakba was not limited to losing the land and dream, but also to the loss of the liberation revolution and will to resist. Hafith compared between Arab positions regarding the US and Israel’s action to bond American policies with Israeli interests. He pointed that the most serious Nakba at the current time is undermining the resistance and attempting to get rid of it under the American excuse of terrorism.

Hafith also warned against the splintering of the arms of the resistance, which gives the occupation additional advantages and successes. In addition, he expressed astonishment over the saying that the Iranian nuclear project is a more serious danger to the Arabs than Israel, and that the resistance threatens Arab security. At the same time, he pointed, foreign interference is welcomed due to the fragmented state of the region and to the ignorance of joint interests. He added that no Palestinian or Egyptian would fall for the intentional attempts to cause a split between both peoples. He pointed tat complications usually arise whenever Arab summits are planned in order to cause their failure.

The speakers all agreed to reject the American plans to establish a Palestinian state with temporary borders. They pointed that this drive aims to undermine the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, especially with the internal fragmentation of the Palestinian people. The most serious concessions in this regard would be on Jerusalem and acknowledging the Jewish character of Israel.

Discussion and participant interventions included calls for condemning Israeli war crimes and aggression against Palestinians and for enforcing accountability mechanisms for these crimes. In addition, participants condemned American protection for Israel, calling upon Arab governments to take a serious stance against bias towards Israel, and to provide protection for the Palestinian people. The participants called upon Arabs to unilaterally break the siege imposed on the Palestinian people.