Unraveling the Right of Return: Palestinian and Israeli discourses on and Attitudes Towards the Right of Return

The right of return is a central theme in the collective ethos and identities of Jewish Israelis and Palestinians. Discussions on the Palestinian right of return have constituted one of the main hurdles in reaching an agreement in the context of Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations.

This study explores Israeli and Palestinian discourse on and attitudes towards the right of return. Rather than treating the issue in its narrowest form, i.e., dealing with the question of whether or not Palestinian refugees will or should return to their former homes in Israel, the study attempts to unravel the many other grievances and issues being negotiated and contested between the parties. It does so by using Foucauldian notions of discourse and discourse analysis, and examining discourse on the right of return within the context of the discursive continuities within which it is embedded.

Data utilized for this study consists of texts---books, articles, surveys, polls and MA and PhD theses---written primarily by Palestinians and Israelis (and hence constituting both primary and secondary sources of information), as well as interviews with Palestinians and Israelis in the West Bank, Israel and Jordan. In addition, the study's author participated in many community commemorative events and forums dealing with the issues of refugees and the right of return.

The study examines the repertoire of ideas and voices that exists and has been articulated by Palestinians and Israelis, and tries to assert the extent to which the right of return is of zero sum nature, as it is often portrayed. In accordance with Foucault's notions on the relationship between discourse and power, the study looks into whose power is either preserved or challenged by allowing certain voices to be heard while silencing others.

Importantly, the study examines the right of return in a holistic manner, and thus treats discourse on and by Internally Displaced Persons as integral to the general discourse on the right of return.

Finally, the study attempts to determine what might constitute the "ingredients" and final "recipe" of a sustainable resolution to the right of return in the context of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, taking into account both the symbolic and the tangible and practical elements of the issue.