Islamic-Christian Committee warns of manipulating definition of refugees

Dr. Hanna Issa, Secretary General of Islamic-Christian Committee to support Jerusalem and holy sites, warned of Israeli tireless efforts to change the legal formula that defines “Palestinian refugees”, in order to strip Palestinians who have been displaced from their land in 1948 of this status.

The Professor of International Law said, on Tuesday, that the issue of Palestinian refugees represents one of the most prominent phenomena in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. It is a hot topic in the world, as it combines religious, national, humanitarian, legal and existential factors.

He considered the Israeli attempts to change the Palestinian refugee status a blatant violation of the international charters, laws and norms, and called on the international community and humanitarian organizations to find an urgent solution to solve the Palestinian refugee problem.

He has also called for rejecting all the Israeli allegations and policies that have displaced Palestinians and stolen their land, and considered these practices a continuation of the abuses committed against the Palestinian refugees.

Dr. Hanna Issa called on every Palestinian and every refugee not to give up the “Palestinian refugee” status and the right of return and compensation, and stressed that any final political solution to the Palestinian issue must be accompanied by a solution to the Palestinian refugees’ issue, ensuring their right of return and self-determination.

He added that the right of the Palestinian refugees is a collective right, and not only an individual right.