The Palestinian Right of Return
Channel: Community Peacemaker Teams
Date: 2021-06-25

The right of return is one of the most controversial issues when talking about a solution for a Palestinian state. According to UN resolution 194, Palestinians have the right to return to their homes from which they were displaced in 1948. However, exercising this right is impossible with the restrictions imposed by the Israeli government preventing more than 5.6 million Palestinian refugees from returning to their original cities. Thousands of Palestinians who call Jerusalem home, today live under the threat of ethnic cleansing through forced displacement, while Jewish people who have no origins in Palestinian cities can live wherever they like.

Panelists

Lubnah Shomali
Advocacy Manager at BADIL Resource Center for Palestinian Residency and Refugee Rights
Lubnah is a Palestinian human rights defender/activist. Mrs. Shomali has a bachelor’s degree in Molecular Biology and a Masters of Business Administration from the University of Michigan. She is responsible for overseeing donor relations, fund development, research, and advocacy.
 
Bilal Al-Issa
Bilal Al-Issa is Palestinian, born in Lebanon, and raised in Denmark. Bilal works as the Deputy Chair of the Danish House in Palestine and has lived for 5 years in the West Bank working with the development and civil society sector.
 
Tarteel Junidi and Abdallah H. Maraka
Christian Peacemaker Teams
Moderators of this webinar will be CPT-Palestine team members Tarteel Junidi and Abdallah H. Maraka. Tarteel Junidi has been a member of the CPT – Palestine team since 2019. She has volunteered in many local organizations and aims to empower women and youth in the Palestinian community. Tarteel has a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Bethlehem University. Abdallah H. Maraka has been a member of the CPT – Palestine team since 2020. He’s also a licenced tour guide specializing in geo-political and historical tours in the Hebron and Bethlehem area.

cpt.org