Ninth Annual International Al-Awda Convention, April 29-30, 2011
At a time when the people of the Arab world have taken to the streets to initiate major and momentous political changes after decades of brutal control by dictatorial regimes, we the Palestinians are faced with similar challenges standing up to one of the most brutal occupations in modern history. The recent revelations of betrayal and attempt to liquidate the right to return by elements of an unelected and unrepresentative puppet leadership, requires once again for our people to take control of our own destiny. We need to develop strategy and tactics to join our Egyptian, Tunisian and other Arab comrades as our struggle to return is raised to a higher level. We must also begin to think beyond return. As the call for freedom in the Arab world has evolved, the Zionist occupier has intensified its bombing of the Gaza Strip, land confiscations and home demolitions in the West Bank, Al Naqab and elsewhere in Palestine. The repression by the Zionist puppets becomes more desperate, as they try to hang on to our lands and lives. The purpose of our annual convention is to summarize and evaluate our work since the previous convention.