Head of the Committee for the Defense of Palestinian Refugees Rights: Hussam Elkhadr to Echorouk: “Palestinian refugees must return back homes”

Head of the Committee for the Defense of Palestinian Refugees Rights, Hussam Elkhadr said files of the Palestinian detainees are difficult to solve and no one can find a solution for them, as long as they threaten the presence of Zionists in the region.

  Echorouk: How can your Committee defend the Palestinian refugees?

Hussam Elkhadr: Our Committee was established in 1994 after the signing of the PLO in Oslo Accords, which neglected the case of Palestinian refugees. We exercise political and cultural activities, and we are considered a first line for defending their rights.

Echorouk: What did the Committee realized since 16 years ago?

Hussam Elkhadr: We focused on making the issue of Palestinian refugees as part of the Palestinian issues that are inalienable. We have conducted a number of public activities and events in order to impose our cause in the agenda of negotiations. We always warn Palestinian leaders from making concessions for the return or being subjected to barter and bargain. We emphasized in all our letters and publications on the right for individual or collective returns as a legal and political right and we issued a document for “Returnees” in 2001, then we signed with our blood under signature and oath to preserve our historical right in Palestine. Our committee established “Jaffa” cultural centre which works on publishing and deepening the culture of returning back land among refugees, and this is a part of coalition.

Echorouk: What is the number of Palestinian refugees today?

Hussam Elkhadr: Not less than 6 million, it is hard to count them, because many of them live in different societies as legal citizens, however, there is a problem that Palestinian refugee according to official statistics are registered in the international agency “El Ghawth” “Relief”, and there are thousands who are not registered in this agency, therefore, the remaining figures are still estimates.

Echorouk: How is their situation in the world?

Hussam Elkhadr: They are living tragic situations every whereabouts, they are prevented from visiting homelands, especially those who live in Palestinian refugee camps. They suffer from health problems because they live in decent houses where there is no sun shine or lighting.

Echorouk: Where do they live in larger numbers?

Hussam Elkhadr: Large numbers of Palestinian refugees live in Jordan where they are two million Palestinian, then Syria and Lebanon, where they are a million, not to mention 70% of Gaza refugees and 35% from the West Bank.

Echorouk: How the file of refugees can be solved in light of the Palestinians interior split and conflict?

Hussam Elkhadr: The return of every Palestinian citizen to homeland requires the expulsion of Zionists, therefore the periodic political solution based on the two countries borders does not provide a fair solution to our cause. We ask the Palestinian authority to avoid being subject to swap on the files of refugees in return for establishing a state on the borders of 1967.

Echorouk: As representatives of the Palestinian refugees file, what can you say about it?

Hussam Elkhadr: It is a general human and patriotic general file. The case of refugees is very important because it occupies minds of all Palestinians who are struggling by all means to free the prisoners either through kidnappings of soldiers or through negotiations.