Rainier, BayBer, and others,

In relation to international law and the rights of refugees, note the text of UN General Assembly Resolution 194:

http://www.ariga.com/treaties/194.shtml

In particular read Item 11:

"11. Resolves that the refugees wishing to return to their homes and live at peace with their neighbours should be permitted to do so at the earliest practicable date, and that compensation should be paid for the property of those choosing not to return and for loss of or damage to property which, under principles of international law or in equity, should be made good by the Governments or authorities responsible;

Instructs the Conciliation Commission to facilitate the repatriation, resettlement and economic and social rehabilitation of the refugees and the payment of compensation, and to maintain close relations with the Director of the United Nations Relief for Palestine Refugees and, through him, with the appropriate organs and agencies of the United Nations; "

Note that this resolution was passed in December 1948, after most hostilities in the 1948 war had ended, and at least several hundred thousand Jews had been driven from their homes in Arab countries, their homes, businesses, and assets confiscated, and their citizenship stripped. Note that this resolution doesn't specify only Arab refugees.

My point: if we really want to get serious about the Palestinian "right of return" issue, we will have to talk about the nearly equal number of Jews who were made refugees and perhaps should be offered the right of return to their homes in Amman, Baghdad, Damascus, etc. No such offer for return or compensation has ever, to my knowledge, been made to these Jews. Iraqi Jews, who were stripped of citizenship by the parliament of the day in the early '50s, in particular, had been in Iraq since it was Balylonia.

Please correct me if I'm mistaken.

In addition to my post above
In the Amnesty Int'l "Ten Principles" document that RayBer referred to, Point 7 says:

"7. Everyone has the right to return to his or her country. The right to return is an individual human right which cannot be given away as a political concession. Palestinians in exile should be given the choice to exercise such a right and return to Israel, the West Bank or Gaza Strip as appropriate. Palestinians should also be allowed to choose other durable solutions, such as integration in their host country or resettlement in a third country. Those who choose not to return are entitled to compensation. Those returning should also receive compensation for lost property. The same rights relating to return and compensation should also be given to Israelis who fled or were forced out of Arab and other countries."

So OK, let's talk about "right of return." While we're at it, since the Europeans are such staunch supporters of the Palestinians and critics of Israel, they could really show their solidarity with their Palestinian brethren by helping them get Jews out of Palestine. The Europeans could offer Jews the homes and property that were confiscated by the Nazis and their supporters. There are probably lots of nice houses in Berlin, Munich, Prague, Cracow, Budapest....

The Arabs of Palestine are not refugees: they had left on their own will as their tribe leaders promissed a quick victory over the Jews in a war called by Israelis " A War for Independence".

They had lost. No right for return applies to them-at least not much, than for the Jews being expelled from Afghanistan,Iraq, Iran,Middle Eastern countries generally,Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailan, Japan, Singapor, China, the then former USSR -and non-Jews: Polish Ukrainians and Germans to return into contemporary Poland,Ukrainian Poles-into the Ukraine, a number of Dutchmen - into Belgium,the Frenchmen and Jews-into Algeria. A list can be extended all around a world, and broadened much with stories dealt with different folks.

History has happened-and let it rest as it is.

A great theory MICHAELK but I dare you to take it into the streets of Gaza. I'm sure they'll all suddenly see the light and call off the whole thing.

Fatuous platitudes.

Howard,

Actually your question as to why Europe didn't give a part of Europe to the Jews rather than Palestine was first asked by the Saudi King in 1948: "why can't Israel be in Germany, it was Germany who massacred Jews, not arabs or muslims" he said.

Actually or surely, I did not question Europe's obligation to place a Jewish state inside as such an attempt was made in the USSR already by creating a Jewish Autonomy Region in Siberia at the time.

What is quite sure to me is that a most of these discussion participants has never been to places where the UN sucks international funds for “peacekeeping”. And Gaza is not a most for me to go to find the same, which is a local mafia perfectly doing business round the glob with Israeli counterparts inclusively, and killing everybody questioning necessity of “no peace-no war” situation.

What did I provide is that this situation is not unique (Kosovo is in the supposed being more tolerant and civilized part of a world which is Europe itself), and changing the status quo on a basis of a simple majority of an ethnic population or strength of arms is blooding rather than grateful project as history testified.
With unpredictable further outcomes wherever around a globe.