JUSTICE IN PALESTINE COALITION
Points of Unity - JUSTICE IN PALESTINE COALITION
By agreeing to all of the points of unity below, any organization, group, or individual can join the coalition.
1) The coalition affirms that Palestinian Arab people are indigenous to Palestine. Therefore, they are entitled to live as equals anywhere in historic Palestine, defined by the mandate borders of 1920. This coalition regards the Israeli legal definition of Jewish nationals, which grants mostly European immigrants first rights to citizenship and land, as part of the racism and discrimination inherent in the Zionist ideology underlying the policies and laws of the State of Israel.
2) This coalition unequivocally supports the right of all Palestinian refugees to return to their original towns and villages anywhere in historic Palestine from which they were expelled and to compensation for damages inflicted on their property and lives. All Palestinians are entitled to the right to self-determination, the right to political and civil equality and the right to a nationally independent unity as a single indigenous people. The Palestinian national identity encompasses 5.5 million people living in exile, 2.5 million living in the illegally occupied West Bank and Gaza, and 1.2 million living within the 1948 Israeli controlled borders.
3) This coalition firmly stands against the continued displacement of Palestinians by the construction of illegal colonies in the form of residential settlements, the racist confiscation of land since 1948, the demolition of homes, the collective punishment of Palestinian Arabs living in 1967 and 1948 areas, and all violations of Palestinian civil, political, national and human rights. The coalition abhors and condemns the use of massacres and abuse of civilians to further the expansion of Israel at the detriment of Palestinian society.
4) This coalition supports the struggle for the liberation of Palestine and views it as a struggle against exclusionary colonialism, not only in state policy but also in character. This struggle is inseparable from the universal and labor struggles for social and national equality, development, justice and freedom against an imposed global new world order. This coalition upholds all of the values enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Fourth Geneva Convention.
5) This coalition is formed to support the Palestinian Arab people in their struggle at this critical historical juncture. It stands against and opposes all forms of discrimination. It is formed to support the Palestinian Arab movement and its fight against the Zionist plan that excludes Palestinian Arabs in favor of a pure Jewish state. The coalition does not claim to represent or speak on behalf of the Palestinian Arab movement.
This coalition will work to educate people about the Israeli injustices that the US government subsidizes with 4-6 billion dollars annually. Until the dismantlement of the exclusionary and racist character of Israel, and until Palestinians are granted the right to return and achieve equality, this coalition is united in working for and demanding:
Version 5 : 5/14/02