The Lebanese and Palestinian working groups on Palestinian refugees affairs in Lebanon held a joint meeting on February 19/2020, in the Grand Serail, at the invitation of the LPDC Chairman Dr. Hassan Mneymneh, with the aim of reach an unified position from the “Deal of the Century” with a policy roadmap to confront it in partnership with the Palestinian brothers. Following the meeting, the participants agreed on the following statement:

 

1- Firmly reject “the Deal of the Century”, being considered by both Lebanese and Palestinian Working Groups merely an extension of Balfour Declaration, which means striving to abolish the identity and existence of the Palestinian people and their national rights, especially their right to return and to establish their independent state, eliminating their legitimate rights and perpetuating the continuous extortion of Israel to international justice and the Arab struggle for more than 72 years.

 

2- The Palestinian Cause is a rightful cause that will triumph, and the justice path shall be achieved, no matter how much the aggressors obtrude upon trying to circumvent its rightfulness and legitimacy. The political, legal and moral character of the Palestinian Cause is stable and solid.

 

3- The ambiguities of unethical, contradictory and illegal approaches of what has been called the “Deal of the Century”, based on real estate exchanges, investment illusions and motivational temptations, are ignoring all relevant United Nations and Security Council resolutions, especially concerning the establishment of the independent State of Palestine on occupied Palestinian territories since 1976, and the inalienable right of Palestinian refugees to return to their homeland, with Jerusalem as its capital.

 

4- The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) remains the living international witness to the suffering and tragedy of the Palestinian people since 1948. Therefore, it has been subjected for more than two decades to systematic attacks in order to abolish it. This will be firmly confronted at all levels, in order to secure the sustainability of its funding and improve its services in a manner that preserves the dignity of refugees.

 

Based on the above, participants call on the Lebanese and Palestinian to coordinate action on the international, Arab, Palestinian and Lebanese levels:

 

 
a. Mobilize international community support through the United Nations ,the Security Council and other international organizations to endorse the right of the Palestinians to establish an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital, and the right of return of refugees based on relevant international resolutions, especially Resolution 194 and commitment to the Arab Peace Initiative (2002).
b. Work to upscale the membership of Palestine in the United Nations to a full membership, as well in representation in all its bodies and programs.
c. Maintain support to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), increased funding to better serve refugees in an integrate relief – humanitarian and empowerment – development perspectives.
d. Emphasizing the role of the United Nations in leading serious peace negotiations on the basis of the international legitimacy resolutions.

 

a- launch engaging diplomacy in the decision-making capitals of the world, in a way that emphasizes the adoption of the full and inalienable rights of the Palestinian people.
b- Confirm the commitment to the Arab peace initiative in confronting the continued Israeli aggression and its American ally against the Palestinian people and their rights and rejecting all forms of normalization (Tawteen).
c- Provide the constituents of resilience to the Palestinian people in Palestine and the refugees in the diaspora until their right to return is realized, as well as increase support for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA).

 

a- Put an end the state of national division and unify the vision and path to protect the Palestinian national project and the advances of the Palestinian struggle since 1948; including the Palestinian people obtaining their right to self-determination by establishing a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital, and unifying the Palestinian national position.
b- Expand the scope of resistance in all its forms in occupied Palestine.
c- Adopt a path of resistance diplomacy to the “Deal of the Century based on international law and relevant United Nations resolutions.

 

a- Launch an active diplomatic campaign to support the rights of the Palestinian people in establishing a state with Jerusalem as its capital and the return of refugees.
b- Launch an international and regional mobilization in support of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), and to improve the conditions of the Palestinian refugees in Lebanon and their resilience until their return to their homeland, based on the “Lebanese unified vision on Palestinian refugees issues in Lebanon” document”
c- Coordinate steps to confront the “Deal of the Century” with Palestine, the Arab League, and the international community.

The borders of states are maps drawn by peoples struggle and their inalienable rights.

• The Lebanese Working Group on Palestinian refugee affairs in Lebanon composed of the main Lebanese Parties includes: MP Ali Fayyad for Hezbollah, MP Simon Abi Ramia for the Free Patriotic Movement, Attorney Rafik Ghanem for the Lebanese Phalange Party, former MP Ammar Houry for the Future Movement, Dr. Bahaa Bou Krom for the Progressive Socialist Party, Hajj Mohamed Jebbawi for “Amal” movement, and Former Minister Tony Karam for the Lebanese Forces Party. 
• The Palestinian Working Group includes representatives of the PLO factions: PLO secretary in Lebanon Fathi Abu Al-Ardat, Marwan Abdel-Al for the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, Ali Faisal from the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, Ghassan Ayoub for Palestinian People’s Party; and the representatives of the Palestinian National Forces: Dr. Ahmed Abdel Hadi, Hamas movement in Lebanon, Ghazi Dabour for Popular Front-General commandment, and Rafik Rmaid for Fatah-Intifada.