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Al-Awda: Profile
By Stand4Facts.org Overview
Al-Awda, the Palestine Right to Return Coalition, presents its views in the language of human rights and international law. A coalition of pro-Palestinian groups, its mission is to promote and ensure the Palestinians’ “right of return” to their former homes and villages in Israel and, in effect, to end Israel’s identity as a Jewish state. Anti-war and global human rights activists have rallied to its cause and prominent pro-Palestinian academics embrace it.
Al-Awda justifies its radical agenda by delegitimizing Israel’s founding and its national purpose, by distorting the history of the conflict and by vilifying Israel. Its top priority is not peace through compromise. Instead, Al-Awda is adamantly opposed to compromise or to a two-state solution that does not include an absolute right of return. Its slogan is “No Return="No" Peace.” Its logo is a key superimposed on a map of all of present-day Israel. Its website at one time featured a call to arms from Hamas spiritual leader, Sheikh Ahmed Yassin. Al-Awda’s stand is so uncompromising and hostile to Israel that it created a schism in September 2003 in a coalition of activists opposed to the Iraq War. Consider some of the group’s positions:
[1] www.al-awda.org/factsheet/ Site visited 10/21/03 [2] www.njsolidarity.org/articles/awdares.html Site visited 11/2/03 [3] www.njsolidarity.org/articles/awdares.html Site visited 11/2/03 [4] www.njsolidarity.org/articles/awdares.html Site visited 11/2/03 [5] www.al-awda.org/faqsonrefugees/ Site visited 11/2/03 [6] www.al-awda.org/faqsonrefugees/ Site visited 11/2/03 [7] www.njsolidarity.org/articles/awdares.html Site visited 11/2/03 [8] www.al-awda.org/factsheet/ Site visited 10/21/03 Organization Background
Al-Awda, (Arabic for the Palestine Right to Return Coalition (PRRC)) is an international coalition of pro-Palestinian activists and organizations. Its primary demand is that the Palestinian refugees and their descendents be granted their “inalienable right” to return to their “homes and villages” in Israel. Using this main point as a springboard, Al-Awda vilifies and delegitimizes Israel, condones terrorism against Israelis and in effect calls for the destruction of the Jewish state. The organization, founded in April 2000, today has a core membership of 5000 individuals and 40 local action committees in the U.S. and 20 in other countries including Canada and England. It is extremely active and boasts that in one year, its members organized “over 1000 demonstrations, vigils, teach-ins, exhibits and other functions…”[1] Al-Awda is most well-known for the rallies it coordinated in September 2000, April 2001, and September 2002 in cities worldwide, including the US, UK, Spain, Canada, Japan, Australia, Palestine, Jordan and Lebanon.[2] Its radical views were clearly displayed in t-shirts: “Intifada! Palestine will be free from the River to the Sea”[3] and in chants at the rallies: “Down, down with Israel,” “Our Al-Aksa is not your Temple.”[4] Al-Awda’s extremist positions should marginalize it even among leftists, but a broad range of pro-Palestinian and anti-war groups have joined in coalitions with it for various demonstrations and events, including ANSWER, Amnesty International, Jews Against the Occupation, the Association of State Green Parties and others.[5] Al-Awda’s extremist position did cause one schism when United for Peace and Justice (UPFJ) formed a coalition to protest against the Iraq War in the fall of 2003. Al-Awda had demanded the group endorse the right of return. UJFP reported that this was a minority position and that the issue threatened to splinter the coalition.[6] Al-Awda’s usual speakers range from vehement pro-Palestinian academics such as Edward Said (until his death this fall) and anti-Zionist Israeli political scientist Ilan Pappe to those who are or are identified with known terrorists, such as George Habash, leader of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and Sami Al-Arian whom the INS identified as a front-man for Islamic Jihad and Hamas.[7] Al-Awda Speakers
Affiliate “Partner” Organizations[8]
[1] www.al-awda.org/accomplishments/ [2] www.al-awda.org/accomplishments/ [3] http://www.adl.org/Israel/israel_protest_calendar_groups.asp#1 [4] http://www.jpost.com/Editions/2001/04/09/News/News.24298.html [5] www.gp.org/position/palestinian_rally.html [6] www.forward.com/issues/2003/03.09.05/news2.divestment.html [7] http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=23525 [8] http://www.al-awda.org/alawdapartners/ Accusations and Defamations
[1] Melissa Radner. “Palestinian Supporters March in New York.” Jerusalem Post 9 April 2001. http://www.jpost.com/Editions/2001/04/09/News/News.24298.html [2] Melissa Radner. “Palestinian Supporters March in New York.” Jerusalem Post 9 April 2001. http://www.jpost.com/Editions/2001/04/09/News/News.24298.html [3] Melissa Radner. “Palestinian Supporters March in New York.” Jerusalem Post 9 April 2001. http://www.jpost.com/Editions/2001/04/09/News/News.24298.html [4] Melissa Radner. “Palestinian Supporters March in New York.” Jerusalem Post 9 April 2001. http://www.jpost.com/Editions/2001/04/09/News/News.24298.html [5] Melissa Radner. “Palestinian Supporters March in New York.” Jerusalem Post 9 April 2001. http://www.jpost.com/Editions/2001/04/09/News/News.24298.html [6] Melissa Radner. “Palestinian Supporters March in New York.” Jerusalem Post 9 April 2001. http://www.jpost.com/Editions/2001/04/09/News/News.24298.html [7] Melissa Radner. “Palestinian Supporters March in New York.” Jerusalem Post 9 April 2001. http://www.jpost.com/Editions/2001/04/09/News/News.24298.html [8] Debbie Schlussel. “Oprah, Don’t be a Terrorists’ Tool, Girlfriend.” World Net Daily 6, July 2001.http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=23525 [9] Debbie Schlussel. “Oprah, Don’t be a Terrorists’ Tool, Girlfriend.” World Net Daily 6, July 2001.http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=23525 [10] Debbie Schlussel. “Oprah, Don’t be a Terrorists’ Tool, Girlfriend.” World Net Daily 6, July 2001.http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=23525 [11] Debbie Schlussel. “Oprah, Don’t be a Terrorists’ Tool, Girlfriend.” World Net Daily 6, July 2001.http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=23525 |
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