August 23, 2005
Statement From Al-Awda's Coordinating Committee

It is with sadness that the elected Coordinating Committee of Al-Awda, The Palestine Right to Return Coalition, declares that, as of August 8, 2005, the Connecticut chapter is no longer part of or affiliated with our organization. This measure was approved by more than a two-third majority of Al-Awda's chapter and action committees' elected representatives, which constitute the Coordinating Committee. It was prompted by the CT chapter undertaking of actions that
were at variance with the organization's raison d'etre, namely to uphold, bolster and advance the Palestinian refugees' Right of Return (ROR) irrespective of political and organizational considerations.

Two actions in particular reflect the political and organizational gap that developed between the former CT chapter, on the one hand, and the vast majority of elected members of the Coordinating Committee, on the other:

First, Al-Awda, The Palestine Right to Return Coalition, is and has been an official member of the September 24 National Coalition for the March on Washington. The purpose of this march is to oppose the occupation of Iraq and includes support for Palestinian rights, first and foremost the right of all refugees and their descendents to return to their original towns and villages in pre-1948 Palestine. That is why the Coordinating Committee was shocked when it became aware of a letter from the CT chapter leadership to A.N.S.W.E.R. requesting that it replace the Right of Return slogan with one calling for an end to Israeli occupation (see copy of letter
below).

This action of the CT chapter leadership was undertaken without prior coordination or discussion with other members of the Coordinating Committee, which had already elected its own representative to the September 24 National Coalition!

Leaders of the former CT chapter were also fully aware that the main disagreement between A.N.S.W.E.R. and UFPJ has been over the Right of Return, with the former insisting on its inclusion, and the latter demanding its exclusion.

Second, the leadership of the former CT chapter has consistently refused to endorse, let alone abide by Al-Awda's Points of Unity. These Points were adopted democratically by the overwhelming majority of participants at Al-Awda's 2004 annual convention in New York City. These Unity principles were also ratified by two-thirds of the organization's elected chapter and action committee representatives following that convention. Instead, the representatives of the former CT chapter stated that their chapter was under no obligation to abide by Al-Awda's Points of Unity. Indeed, the chapter did not abide by these Points in their statements and activities, allowing and supporting the advocacy of positions at odds with these Points, while using Al-Awda's name.

Additionally, the former CT chapter refused to abide by other democratic decisions of Al-Awda's Coordinating Committee, in particular, the resolution adopted in May 2005 that stated, in part, that "no chapter of Al-Awda is to formally associate itself, nor establish any formal relationship with the U.S. Campaign to End the Occupation, the United for Peace and Justice Coalition, or any organization that refuses to support the right of all Palestinian refugees and their descendants to return to their original homes, farms, villages and towns in any part of Palestine as it existed before the establishment of 'Israel' in 1948, and to compensation."

In keeping with Al-Awda's Points of Unity, this was an overwhelming collective decision taken by the Coordinating Committee of Al-Awda in order to safeguard the Right to Return as the core issue within the Palestine solidarity and Palestinian movements in the United States. Organizations, such as the U.S. Campaign to End the Occupation and UFPJ, have so far either failed to support the right to return of all Palestinian refugees and their descendants to their original homes, lands and properties, or have supported it conditionally, urging Palestinian "compromise" on fundamental, inalienable, non-negotiable rights. UFPJ has gone so far as to advocate silencing the Palestinian cause and the Right to Return within the antiwar movement. In spite of this, the former CT chapter continued to lend its name and endorsement to the activities of these organizations. In fact, the CT chapter has been a dues paying member of the
U.S. Campaign to End the Occupation as well as a member of UFPJ and is now represented on their steering committees.

These political and organizational gaps, including refusal to abide by collective democratic decisions of the Coordinating Committee, have led to the unfortunate but necessary expulsion of the CT chapter, per the authority afforded the Coordinating Committee according to the by-laws of this organization.

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The following is the text of the offending letter from the former CT chapter to the A.N.S.W.E.R. coalition. The letter was co-signed by the chair and co-chair of the CT chapter:

"We are the Connecticut Chapter of Al-Awda, the Palestine Right to Return Coalition. We appreciate that you have made the Right to Return a key part of your call for your rally on the 24th. However, we believe it is important to have one united anti-war march and rally on the 24th of September. We believe it is essential to expose the influence of Israeli militarism as a
factor in the U.S. war on Iraq and attacks on Iran and to show the roots of this militarism in Israeli oppression of Palestinians. "

"At present UFPJ is making no connection to Israel/Palestine in its call for its anti-war weekend and we are writing to them about their error and organizing others to do the same. As one move towards UFPJ/ANSWER unity we insist that there be a good common slogan on Israel and the rights of Palestinians. "

"While there are many formulations on Israeli militarism and Palestinian oppression that might be unifying there is one that is obvious, the call that was in the unity statement for the March 2004 UFPJ/ANSWER demonstration, "end the occupation of Palestine". We ask you to contact
UFPJ and propose that this statement once again be the basis for unity. "

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Al-Awda, the Palestine Right to Return Coalition Points of Unity

Points of Unity

1. This Coalition affirms that the Palestinian Arab people, regardless of their religious affiliation, are indigenous to Palestine. Therefore, they are entitled to live anywhere in Palestine which
encompasses present-day "Israel", the West Bank and Gaza Strip. This Coalition regards the "Israeli" definition of Jewish nationals, granting exclusive rights to citizenship and land to any Jew from anywhere in the world, as part of the racism and discrimination inherent in Zionist ideology which underlies the policies and laws of the settler state of "Israel".

2. This Coalition unequivocally supports the rights of all Palestinian refugees to return to their original towns, villages and lands anywhere in Palestine from which they were expelled. This Coalition also unequivocally supports the rights of all Palestinian refugees to compensation for damages inflicted on their property and lives, and to restitution of all destroyed and confiscated property. All Palestinians are entitled to the rights to self-determination, to political, economic and civil equality, and to live in a single democratic state for all its citizens in all of Palestine. The Palestinian national identity encompasses more than 5.5 million people living in exile, more than 2.5 million living in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, and more than 1.2 million living within the areas of Palestine controlled by "Israel" since 1948.

3. This Coalition firmly stands against the continued displacement of Palestinians, the construction of illegal Jewish-only colonies in the form of residential settlements, the racist confiscation of land and the demolition of homes since 1948. This Coalition firmly stands against the collective punishment of Palestinians, and all violations of Palestinian civil, economic, political, national and human rights. This Coalition abhors and condemns the use of massacres and abuse of civilians to further the expansion of "Israel" to the detriment of Palestinian society.

4. This Coalition supports the struggle for the liberation of Palestine and views it as a struggle against all forms of colonialism. This struggle is inseparable from the universal and labor struggles for social, economic and national equality, development, justice and freedom against an imposed global new world order. This Coalition upholds all of the values enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Fourth Geneva Convention, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, the Convention on the Political Rights of Women, and the International Convention on the Suppression and Punishment of the Crime of Apartheid. This Coalition
also upholds the African Charter of Human and People's Rights, the Comprehensive Anti-Apartheid Act (Pub. L. 99-440) and the American Convention on Human Rights.

5. This Coalition respects, recognizes and supports the central role of Palestinian women in the struggle for national liberation and the right to return. This includes the leadership of Palestinian women in the right to return movement.

6. This Coalition will work to educate the public about "Israeli" injustices the US government subsidizes with billions of dollars annually. Until the dismantlement of the exclusionary and racist character of "Israel", and until all Palestinians are granted the right to return and achieve equality, this Coalition is united in working for and demanding:

* An end to all US political, military and economic aid to "Israel"
* The divestment of all public and private entities from all "Israeli" corporations and American corporations with subsidiaries operating within "Israel"
* An end to the investment of Labor Union members' pension funds in "Israel"
* The boycott of all "Israeli" products
* The right to return for all Palestinian refugees to their original towns, villages and lands with compensation for damages inflicted on their property and lives
* The right for all Palestinian refugees to full restitution of all confiscated and destroyed property
* The formation of an independent, democratic state for all its citizens in all of Palestine