Gandhi's Grandson Urges Palestinians to March Home
Sun Aug 29, 2004 12:09 PM ET
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=6096660

By Cynthia Johnston

RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters) - The grandson of Mahatma Gandhi urged
Palestinian refugees Sunday to march home from Jordan en masse, even if the
Israelis "kill 200 people," to shock the world into taking notice.

Arun Gandhi, whose pacifist grandfather helped end British control over the
Indian subcontinent, proposed to the Palestinian parliament a peaceful
march of 50,000 refugees across the Jordan River and said lawmakers should
lead the way.

"What would happen? Maybe the Israeli army would shoot and kill several.
They may kill 100. They may kill 200 men, women and children. And that
would shock the world. The world will get up and say, 'What is going on?"'
he said.

"That is the kind of electrifying action that needs to be taken," he said
in the West Bank city of Ramallah.

A popular Palestinian uprising against Israeli occupation which began in
2000 has been overshadowed by violence by militants, some sworn to Israel's
destruction, who have killed more than 900 Israelis in suicide bomb and
shooting attacks.

Human rights groups say at least 3,000 Palestinians have also been killed
over the past four years.

Gandhi, on a solidarity trip to territory where Palestinians are seeking
statehood, said his idea could be "crazy."

He compared Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza to the treatment
of blacks under South Africa's former white-minority regime, saying what
was happening to Palestinians was "10 times worse."

The fate of refugees is one of the thorniest disputes in the Palestinians'
long-running conflict with Israel.

At least 700,000 Palestinians fled or were driven from their homes during
the 1948 war that led to Israel's creation. Together with their
descendants, the refugees now number about 4 million, many living in
adjacent states like Jordan and Lebanon.

Israel rules out refugee return to Israel, saying this would amount to
demographic suicide for the Jewish state.

Palestinian lawmaker Azmi al-Shueibi called Gandhi's idea "important and
interesting" but said there were more pressing issues such as stopping
Israeli military raids and removing checkpoints Israel says are needed to
block militant attacks.

"I am willing to participate in such a march toward Palestine," he said.
"Arab countries around Palestine do not help us in executing such ideas.
But I think we should adopt this idea in the future."