The Possibility of the Return of Palestinian Refugees

While many Palestinian villages have been destroyed (more than 400 after 1948), recent research shows that - contrary to the longstanding Israeli argument - the return of Palestinian refugees is practical if examined in the light of the relative distribution of Jews and Palestinians in Israel. Such research shows that, up to now, most Jews (78 percent) are concentrated in 15 percent of Israel, in predominantly urban areas, while 75 percent of the land, "including those areas from which the refugees originated", has remained sparsely populated, with relatively few Jewish residents. "Surprising as it may be, Palestinian land is still largely empty. It is currently controlled by 154,000 rural Jews". In Gaza, population density is 4,400 persons per square mile, compared with 82 per square mile in 85 percent of Israel. If Palestinian refugees returned to their land, the population to land ratio in Israel would be minimally raised (based on Salman Abu Sitta, 1998).

See The Feasability of the Right of Return (1997)

or check Badil Resource Center