The 15^th of May is the 54^th remembrance of the Catastrophe of our homeland Palestine and the explosion of our people by the Zionist terrorist organizations. The Catastrophe turned more than two thirds of our people into dispossessed refugees after the destructions of their towns and villages, their private and public property, and their religious and civil institutions by the fascist Zionist terrorist organizations.

In their barbaric campaign against humanity, the Zionist organizations went as far as vandalizing our cemeteries, mosques and churches, and conducting mass massacres of innocent Palestinian children, women and elderly. There is no doubt that the Zionist organizations and their actions remain the direct and major cause of the dispossession and suffering of our people. Not only that, but also the leadership of the Zionist movement, has exploited the Jewish people in the interest of its organic relationship with the world’s capitalist center and imperialism.

The episodes of the Palestinian Catastrophe and series of massacres continue all the way from Dayr Yasin, Kufr Qasim, Eilaboun, Sabra and Shatila, Qana and Gaza, to Jenin. And the terrorist Zionist leaders conducting these massacres, such as Sharon, Peres, Netanyahu, Barak, Shamir and Rabin are just various faces of the same coin.

It is time that we stop searching for artificial differences between these bloodthirsty butchers. They all play alternative roles in the same strategic colonialist plan and our people, as the legitimate and historic owners of the land, remain the major victim since the arrival of the first Zionist settler into Palestine.

In the 54^th remembrance of the Palestinian Catastrophe, and amidst the continuing Intifada and Palestinian resistance, we assert loud and clear that the Right of Return is sacred both individually and collectively and no one is entitled to compromise or concede this Right.

We strongly condemn the participation of some Arab political organizations in joint rallies with Jewish groups, under banners that compromise the Right of Return. And we call on the Jewish groups that support the Palestinian cause to state clearly their stand regarding the Right of Return as a precondition for any type joint activities.

In the same manner we also condemn the “pact” regarding lifting the siege on Arafat’s Compound the Church of the Nativity, which resulted in the explosion of thirteen Palestinians into exile with the official agreement of the Palestinian Authority. It is an ironic contradiction and disregard to our people’s insistence on the Right of Return that the PA continues to succumb to the Zionist dictate by accepting further Palestinian explosions under the Oslo process.

Together on the Path to Freedom

Abnaa al-Balad Movement

May 12, 2002