Palestinian Organization Launches Campaign to Sue British Government for Crimes it Committed Against the Palestinian People Between 1917 and 1948

Palestinian Youth launch a campaign to sue the British government

Date: 28 / 06 / 2008  Time:  18:46
Ramallah – Ma'an –

A group of Palestinian youth launched a campaign Saturday to sue the British government for the crimes it committed against the Palestinians beginning with the Balfour declaration and ending with the Nakba.

During a press conference held at the Ramattan News Agency in Ramallah representatives of the Palestinian youth organization Watanuna – meaning "Our Homeland" - announced that they will attempt to gather one million signatures from Palestinians around the world, and attach the petition to a document to be filed with international and British courts.

Watanuna has been described as an organization that "represents Palestinian youths in Palestine and in the Diaspora who aim at making their generation aware and active; showing them how to serve their community and to play a leading role in gaining their rights and defending important issues."

Media coordinator for the campaign Ali 'Ibedat explained that this campaign came as a result of many reviews done by young media and law activists within the organization. Together, he said, they reached the decision that Palestinian youth should lead the campaign, guiding and supporting it until it can achieve its goals of gaining the legal compensation from the British government.

'Ibedat noted that Watanuna began the practical preparation for this campaign through deep legal study of international law and resolutions related to the Palestinian cause. It was the groups' opinion that the British showed ignorance in applying the law, and their actions ultimately lead to the Nakba. He affirmed that "Britain should take moral and political responsibility for what it caused the Palestinians."

"Britain should be one of the first countries," he continued, "to defend the Palestinian cause by supporting the Palestinians' right to establish a state and realize self determination. He added that the campaign for one million signatures will begin on Saturday and will see Palestinian youth gathering names from their peers at Universities and colleges in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, inside the Green line and the refugee camps, and well as throughout the Diaspora. The group hopes that the petition can act as a signal for the unity of Palestinians.

Rami Masharqah, head of Watanuna noted that the group has "started collecting live witnesses to British shortcomings during the period of the mandate," to help prove the case.

Iyad Jabareen, the legal advisor for the campaign indicated that the law suit will rely on the oral documentation of the British violations in addition to written documents available to legal organizations, including many from the British and Israeli archives.

Jabreen added that Britain violated UN article number (22) of the League of Nations convention which says that state responsible for the mandate should be responsible for administrative guidance only. The fact that they were also controlling immigration to the area clearly exceeds the boundaries set by article (22).