There are problems with this effort by the Capucci Foundation’s first project to build a small village in Palestine. Although admittedly this sounds well-intentioned and I commend the foundation for their work, I think this establishes credence to relocation. Many Palestinians who would be helped would be removed from refugee camps in Palestine, Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan. But by removing them from the region to an island in the Mediterranean, cultural connections will be severed and would decrease the likelihood of their returning home.

There are two underlying issues at stake here. The first is that although some in the foundation have shown their support to the right of return, this in part, helps the Israeli government to use uninhabited settlements within Palestine as settlement projects. By establishing more settlements in the West Bank this will continue an agenda of changing the demographics within the West Bank, leaving the right to return as a distant idea.

Secondly, by removing settlements in neighbouring countries, it removes an issue for the governments of neighboring countries. No longer will they have to discuss the ‘refugee

problem’ and its resolution. Once you remove that glaring issue for countries such as Jordan, there will be no need to negotiate with Israel about the right to return.

We need to avoid enabling and facilitating the movement of refugees, especially the movement of refugees out of the region.

■ Feras Abdelrahman

Palestine