Right of return is the key to Mideast peace

As Palestinians mark the day of Nakba (catastrophe), when thousands were forced out of their homes in Palestine and became refugees, the question of a future Palestinian state is as relevant as ever. The Palestinians' right of return to their homeland is not negotiable as it is the key to ending the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

It is a historical fact that hundreds of thousands of Palestinians were forced in 1948 to become refugees when the State of Israel was created. This was not a choice made by Palestinians as they had to establish themselves in foreign lands. Millions of lives have been affected by living in exile — first by the generation of 1948, and then their descendents. A temporary house does not substitute home — a city or a village that has been taken over by Israel.

With the marking of the Nakba, clashes have erupted across many cities. At least 10 Palestinians were killed by Israeli troops — in Occupied Jerusalem, at the Lebanese border, the Golan and in Gaza. Palestinian protesters also marched in the West Bank and Gaza to mark the 63rd anniversary of the Nakba, with some calling for a third Intifada.

These calls are not surprising as the state of the Palestinians is desperate. The peace process has been derailed for way too long without any attempt to revive it either by the Middle East Quartet or the world powers.

Yet if violence is to end, the peace process has to bring about much-needed justice to the cause of the Palestinians. And until that happens, Palestinians should not be blamed for resorting to any necessary means to make their voices heard. Hence, before the violence spirals out of control, efforts must be made for a peaceful solution.