interview with professor John Quigley

"Until the question of the Palestinian refugees' right of return is resolved, peace will hang on a thread."

Abed Awad; Cafe Arabica

With the creation of the state of Israel in 1948, the destruction of 413 Palestinian villages and towns and the uprooting of the indigenous populations to make room for European Jewry escaping Nazi atrocities ensued. Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians either fled or were forced at gun point to leave their homeland. Thus, with the creation of the state of Israel in 1948, the Palestinian refugee problem was born. The final status negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians are to commence by August 1998. During which, the Palestinian refugee problem and their right to return home is bound to be a major issue of contention between Palestinians and Israelis. This is further exemplified with the election of a right wing government in Israel led by Benyamin Netanyahu.

To discuses the refugee issue from a legal perspective, I interviewed John Quigley, professor of Law and Political Science at Ohio State University. Professor Quigely is a respected authority on International Human rights in general and Palestine in particular. He is a member of the United States Supreme Court Bar. He has given testimony in Congress on international issues as well as testimony at the United Nations regarding human rights issues. He is the author of several books including "Treatment of Palestinians in
Israeli Occupied West Bank and Gaza" and "Palestine and Israel: A Challenge to Justice". He is also author of numerous law review articles, most recently in the Catholic Unviersity Law Review.

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