[With thanks to IMRA for bringing this to our attention]

[English and syntax as distributed without change]

May 31, 2003, – 95,4 % of respondents affirmed their clutching to the Right to return along together with the compensations while 4. 6% opposed. Meanwhile 91% affirmed their strong opposition to the principle of compensation in exchange of ceding their Right to Return, 84 % refused the establishment of a Palestinian state in trade of giving up their Right to Return, while 11 % in favor.

At the same time, 88% of the respondents are against the settling motion including 66.2% strongly opposed and 21.7% opposed. 6.1% of the respondents are in favor of settling in the host countries.

The abovementioned outfindings finalized by a poll conducted by Human Rights International Solidarity institute (HRISI) over the Palestinian refugee right of return. The sample included the refugees of northern refugee camps in the West Bank, which make up one-third of the Palestinian refugees in the West Bank.

The poll showed the refugee opinion about the services provided by the United Nation for Relief and Work Agency (UNRWA), and the living standard inside the camps. 82. 4% of respondents believed that UNRWA doesn’t fulfill properly its duty while 13% believed in the opposite.

As far as the refugees’ opinion about the services provided by the UNRWA is concerned, 75% of them pointed out that the UNRWA sought recently to shrink its services, while 18% were in favor that UNRWA fulfilled its duties.

Polled about the UNRWA to become finished with its services in the Palestinian territories in turn of a sum of money, vast majority of the respondents (85%) are against while 8% in favor.

The outcome showed that 78% of the respondents are unsatisfied with the living standard in the refugee camps while 19% are satisfied.

82% of the respondents said that they have told their sons about their homes from which they were displaced in 1948 and 5% have never mentioned their displacement to their sons while 12% abstained.

The poll concluded with a question about the proposed solutions to solve the refugees issue that embodied in any solution based on principally on a fair solution and bring absolutely an end to such crucible issue, which gives the Palestinian refugees a guarantee not forcing them to give up his/her political identity and the Palestinian citizenship.

According to the (HRISI), the proposed solutions based on literal implementation of UN 194 resolutions. In its part, Israel have to compensate the Palestinian refugees and settle them. Rather, the moderate solution is embodied in giving the Palestinian refugees a theoretical right in return and to allow a limited return inside the “Jewish state”, and allow those who willing to return to the Palestinian state with no restrictions and compensate and settling the remaining refugees.

About the proposal to live in the Jewish settlements instead of their 1948 lands, 87% of the respondents opposed, while 4% in favor, 6% with no answer.