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Adalah center says it may seek supranational regime in 'all historic Palestine'
By Yoav Stern, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: Palestine, Israeli Arabs 

The Arab minority rights center, Adalah, is considering a proposal calling for a "democratic constitution for a supranational regime in all of historic Palestine," including the territory of Israel and the Palestinian Authority. This constitutes a shift from the proposed Democratic Constitution that Adalah offered as a constitution for Israel.

While it is not clear when this change occurred, Adalah sources said Wednesday that the effort does not aim to do away with Israel or delegitimize its existence.

Adalah announced in its monthly newsletter Wednesday that it seeks to establish a group of international experts, including Palestinians and Israelis, to help "finalize the text of the Democratic Constitution."
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In its proposal for a constitution for all historic Palestine, Adalah points to the European Convention on Human Rights as a model.

The idea is meant in large part to ensure that the Palestinian refugees can fulfill their right of return.

The experts would also address Jewish immigration to the area.

In the published draft of the Democratic Constitution, the Law of Return was canceled and it was stated that the country would accept anyone who arrives here for humanitarian reasons.

Moreover, the Democratic Constitution seeks a "bilingual, multicultural" Israel whose symbols will be determined by both Jews and Arabs.

Adalah rejects the claim that the new proposal reflects a new stance that does not recognize Israel's borders.

"We are not adopting a position on the number of states that will be in the area," says Hassan Jabareen, Adalah's director. "There can be one state, two or a federal system that will recognize a single constitutional regime. Our role is only to safeguard the human rights of everyone."

The Democratic Constitution, a draft of which was published a year ago, recognized Israel within the 1967 borders, but rejected its Jewish identity.

These same borders were also recognized in three documents published during the past year by other Arab organizations in Israel: "An Equal Constitution for All?" published by the Mossawa Center, "The Haifa Declaration," prepared by Mada al-Carmel, and the "Future Vision" written by the Arab Local Authorities Council.

Adalah stresses that the Democratic Constitution was a draft and had been a work in progress during the past year. During deliberations by legal experts, the possibility was raised of adopting a legal model similar to that in the European Union.

Adalah officials say the establishment of a Palestinian state next to Israel within the 1967 borders will not adequately meet the demands of the Arab community in Israel, nor the entire Palestinian population.

The implication is that the State of Israel will continue to restrict the links between Arab Israelis and the Palestinian state and the rest of the Arab world.

In addition, Adalah says Israel will prevent offering a "full solution" to the Palestinian refugees since it will not allow them to return to their homes.

Adalah's intention in proposing the new constitution is for the establishment of a supranational regime that can offer self determination to the two peoples the Palestinians and the Jews living in Israel.

In addition, the proposal aspires to ensure the rights of individuals to live under conditions in line with international law, anywhere they choose in the geographic area of historic Palestine.

In referring to the European Convention of Human Rights in its newsletter, Adalah is proposing an emulation of the model in which the European Court of Human Rights can intervene in the decisions of European national parliaments.

In the same statement, Adalah noted that the discussions on the supranational constitution will be part of the activities the organization undertakes to commemorate next year's 60th anniversary of the nakba, or "catastrophe," as the Palestinians call the establishment of the State of Israel.

Adalah, whose official title is The Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel, is not a political organization, even though many of its staff have identified themselves in the past with the political party Balad. During more than a decade of activity, the organization has emerged as a leading institution in challenging IDF activities and government policies in the territories.


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      1.   Paraklesis for all the refugees 02:35  |  Holy Land Christian 20/12/07
      2.   Why does Haaretz report this drivel? 02:47  |  Edifice 20/12/07
      3.   A curious proposal 02:47  |  Mark Lincoln 20/12/07
      4.   Why prevent the inevitable 02:49  |  Blinky 20/12/07
      5.   History? 03:01  |  dovale 20/12/07
      6.   Why do Arabs act as if they have negotiating chips? 03:03  |  Netanel 20/12/07
      7.   An Attack 03:47  |  DWOLF 20/12/07
      8.   arab supranational 03:59  |  marcel 20/12/07
      9.   Response to #1 04:04  |  A reader 20/12/07
      10.   So is Jordan included too? Afterall it is "historic Palestine" 04:16  |  David 20/12/07
      11.   How about this: first create one democratic Arab state 04:18  |  McQueen 20/12/07
      12.   they got my vote :D 04:20  |  muslim 20/12/07
      13.   a wolf in lamb`s clothing 04:21  |  judith 20/12/07
      14.   Histroic myth !!! 04:22  |  John Antex 20/12/07
      15.   #1 dovale 04:22  |  muislim 20/12/07
      16.   Historic Palestine 04:25  |  William 20/12/07
      17.   This cannot be serious 04:27  |  Steve 20/12/07
      18.   See what New Israel Fund money supports-destroying Israel! 04:37  |  Maya 20/12/07
      19.   WHAT Historic Palestine??Trying to get throught the back door 04:39  |  PETER SM 20/12/07
      20.   And What Happened To Jordan? 04:40  |  Yosemite 20/12/07
      21.   Historic Palestine 04:56  |  KT 20/12/07
      22.   Religious Tolerance 04:56  |  Juniper 20/12/07
      23.   OPEN LETTER TO MR. HASSAN 05:06  |  Commonsense 20/12/07
      24.   this is how it should always have been 05:28  |  eric 20/12/07
      25.   Israeli`s right to return to Gaza, Ramala, Jenin, Yericho,... 05:33  |  Howard 20/12/07
      26.   #3 common sense? how is it you have none 05:44  |  mohammed 20/12/07
      27.   Greater Palestine NEEDS a Constitution based around Human Rights 05:45  |  POP 20/12/07
      28.   Adalah 05:47  |  Tim 20/12/07
      29.   get real 05:49  |  Prof. David 20/12/07
      30.   another way of trying to get power. they must leave israel 05:57  |  ralph 20/12/07
      31.   Proposal Goes Nowhere 05:58  |  Awake 20/12/07
      32.   If Zionists believed in racial equality, it might work 06:00  |  peacelover 20/12/07
      33.   A Call for Democracy and Human Rights 06:02  |  Mark 20/12/07
      34.   Historical Palestine includes Jordan, from Roman times to British 06:16  |  Rob 20/12/07
      35.   Commonsense 06:18  |  Steve M 20/12/07
      36.   #10 peacelover 06:23  |  * BEN JABO 20/12/07
      37.   The Koran`s Call for Tolerance & Human Rights 06:25  |  * BEN JABO 20/12/07
      38.   ARAB PROGRAM: annihilate Israel 06:32  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 20/12/07
      39.   #5 POP goes the weasel, once again 06:47  |  * BEN JABO 20/12/07
      40.   another curve from those peace lovin ayrabs 07:21  |  Mark 20/12/07
      41.   In a Free & Equal Palestine, even bigots like BenJabo... 07:40  |  POP 20/12/07
      42.   After rereading this.... 07:43  |  Awake 20/12/07
      43.   # 17 you`re a prevaricator, ben jabo 07:45  |  eric 20/12/07
      44.   Historic Palestine 07:50  |  David 20/12/07
      45.   JUST like Lebanon.The sorrounding Arabs will make sure 07:57  |  PETER SM 20/12/07
      46.   #26, eric 08:03  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 20/12/07
      47.   Equitable and practical Partition Plan that may work for a change 08:04  |  Uzi 20/12/07
      48.   There can never be separate Arab polity west of the Jordan! 08:06  |  Uzi 20/12/07
      49.   The Arabs must make very painful concessions for real peace! 08:10  |  Uzi 20/12/07
      50.   All historic Palestine 08:52  |  Pr 20/12/07
      51.   Israel is belong to Jews and Jordan is Palestinians State 08:54  |  e.m 20/12/07
      52.   Stephen Schlimielberg Supports these People 09:06  |  Tod Zuckerman 20/12/07
      53.   How about `historic Jordan`? 09:18  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 20/12/07
      54.   Jordan included - why not? 09:50  |  Palestinian Brit 20/12/07
      55.   # 27 to margie in tel aviv 09:55  |  eric 20/12/07
      56.   Margie in the Capital of Israel 09:57  |  Palestinian Brit 20/12/07
      57.   another xmas pantomime by would be comedians 10:04  |  victor hardman 20/12/07
      58.   Human Rights 10:15  |  DovBer2 20/12/07
      59.   PalBrit 10:18  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 20/12/07
      60.   Steve *17:; Perfect translation 10:19  |  Nora 20/12/07
      61.   DEFINITION of " supranational " ( among other things) 10:22  |  Klaudia 20/12/07
      62.   Human Rights Commissions Designed For LOSS of Rights 10:32  |  Klaudia 20/12/07
      63.   Yuli Tamir,supporter of Adalah and paid by the hated Israeli Stat 10:37  |  Absolute Sweden 20/12/07
      64.   Propostorous & mad Adalah!! 10:41  |  Stan 20/12/07
      65.   I apologize for overlooking something: 10:45  |  Stan 20/12/07
      66.   So Israel has to be "neutralized" for the Arabs to accept Israel 11:09  |  Alicia 20/12/07
      67.   Theoretical exercise.... 11:15  |  Esther 20/12/07
      68.   If the Arabs have a problem they´d better work on their attitude 11:20  |  Alicia 20/12/07
      69.   Adalah... 11:22  |  Nephtaly 20/12/07
      70.   WHO wants more Arab pogroms and ethnic cleansing. 11:23  |  PETER SM 20/12/07
      71.   Adallah `Plan` 11:26  |  Avi Yerushalmi 20/12/07
      72.   US supports unilateral independence for Kosovo, but not Pals 11:30  |  Michael 20/12/07
      73.   #54 Palestinian Brit: thanks for coming out with the Truth 11:37  |  Alicia 20/12/07
      74.   Sounds like An Arab Version of... 12:01  |  Yaakov Sullivan 20/12/07
      75.   The largest majority of people are not interested. 12:09  |  De 20/12/07
      76.   Better Yet....Let the major part of old Palestine unite.... 12:12  |  Ofer Maimon 20/12/07
      77.   #43eric discovers new facts on the ground? it be the cactus 12:12  |  victor hardman 20/12/07
      78.   Historic Palestine was... JEWISH! 12:22  |  Dave 20/12/07
      79.   Michael in UK 12:25  |  Stan