# United Nations General Assembly Resolution 194

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/United_Nations_General_Assembly_Resolution_194
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/United_Nations_General_Assembly_Resolution_194.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_General_Assembly_Resolution_194
> Source revision: 1354381120
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

United Nations resolution adopted in 1948

UN General Assembly Resolution 194 Date December 11 1948 Meeting no. 186 Code A/RES/194 (III) (Document) Subject Palestine—Progress Report of the United Nations Mediator Voting summary 35 voted for 15 voted against 8 abstained Result Adopted

Part of a series on the Nakba Background Intercommunal conflict in Mandatory Palestine 1947 UN Partition Plan Jewish insurgency in Mandatory Palestine Zionism Settler colonialism 1948 Nakba 1948 Palestine war 1947–1948 civil war in Mandatory Palestine 1948 Arab–Israeli War 1948 Palestinian expulsion and flight Plan Dalet Deir Yassin massacre Fall of Haifa Expulsion from Lydda and Ramle Palestinian refugees Refugee camps UNRWA Transfer Committee Present absentees UN Resolution 194 Hebraization of Palestinian place names List of depopulated towns and villages Ongoing Nakba Palestinian genocide accusation Paraguay plan Gaza war Gaza genocide Discourse Nakba denial Nakba Law Palestinian right of return New Historians Notable historians: Ilan Pappé Benny Morris Tom Segev Avi Shlaim Nur Masalha Yoav Gelber Aref al-Aref Walid Khalidi Rashid Khalidi Efraim Karsh Edward Said Symbols and memory Palestinian key Handala Nakba Day Land Day Great March of Return March of Return (Israel) v t e

The [United Nations](/source/United_Nations) [General Assembly](/source/United_Nations_General_Assembly) Resolution 194 is a resolution adopted near the end of the [1948 Palestine war](/source/1948_Palestine_war). The Resolution defines principles for reaching a final settlement and returning Palestine refugees to their homes. Article 11 of the resolution resolves that

refugees wishing to return to their homes and live at peace with their neighbours should be permitted to do so at the earliest practicable date, and that compensation should be paid for the property of those choosing not to return and for loss of or damage to property which, under principles of international law or equity, should be made good by the Governments or authorities responsible.[1]

The resolution also calls for the establishment of the [United Nations Conciliation Commission](/source/United_Nations_Conciliation_Commission) to facilitate peace between Israel and Arab states, continuing the efforts of UN Mediator [Folke Bernadotte](/source/Folke_Bernadotte), following his assassination.[2]

Of the 58 [members of the United Nations](/source/Members_of_the_United_Nations) at that time, the resolution was adopted by a majority of 35 countries, with 15 voting against and 8 abstaining. The six [Arab League](/source/Arab_League) countries then represented at the UN, who were also involved in the war, voted against the resolution. The other significant group which voted against comprised the Communist bloc member countries,[3] all of which had already [recognized Israel](/source/International_recognition_of_Israel) as a *de jure* state. Israel was not a member of the United Nations at the time, and objected to many of the resolution's articles. Palestinian representatives likewise rejected Resolution 194.[4]

The resolution, especially Article 11, was cited in [United Nations General Assembly Resolution 302](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=United_Nations_General_Assembly_Resolution_302&action=edit&redlink=1) establishing the [UNRWA](/source/UNRWA) and other UN resolutions. It has been argued that the resolution enshrines a [right of return](/source/Palestinian_right_of_return) for the [Palestinian refugees](/source/Palestinian_refugees),[5] a claim that Israel disputes.

## Background

During the [1948 Palestine war](/source/1948_Palestine_war), around 700,000[fn 1] Palestinian Arabs or 85% of the total population [fled or were expelled](/source/1948_Palestinian_exodus) from the territory Israel conquered.[6] The UN Mediator for Palestine, Count [Folke Bernadotte](/source/Folke_Bernadotte), believed that the Palestinians displaced had a right to return to their homes and wrote several UN reports to that effect. On June 28, 1948, during a truce he had arranged,[7] he presented a series of suggestions for a peaceful settlement of the Palestine dispute. One of them was that the UN should recognize "the right of residents of Palestine who, because of conditions created by the conflict there have left their normal places of abode, to return to their homes without restriction and to regain possession of their property."[8] Another was to incorporate Jerusalem into Arab territory which angered the Israelis.[9] In the report he presented on September 16, he wrote:[10]

It would be an offence against the principles of elemental justice if these innocent victims of the conflict were denied the right to return to their homes while Jewish immigrants flow into Palestine, and, indeed, at least offer the threat of permanent replacement of the Arab refugees who have been rooted in the land for centuries.

In the report, he argued that "[t]he right of Arab refugees to return to their homes in Jewish-controlled territory at the earliest possible date should be affirmed by the United Nations" and that the UN should supervise payment of "adequate compensation for the property" of those choosing not to return.[8] Israel publicly rejected the report, but [Foreign Minister](/source/Ministry_of_Foreign_Affairs_(Israel)) [Moshe Sharett](/source/Moshe_Sharett) acknowledged that "[i]t is not so nice or humanitarian to oppose something which is so basic, so simple: a person's right to return to the home from which he has been driven out by force."[8]

While Bernadotte was assassinated by Jewish paramilitaries,[8] his insistence on a right of return for the refugees formed the basis of resolution 194.[11]

## Views

See also: [Palestinian right of return](/source/Palestinian_right_of_return)

Several organizations and individuals believe that resolution 194 enshrines a right for the Palestinian refugees to return to their homes in territory that Israel occupied in the 1948 war.[5] The [UN General Assembly](/source/United_Nations_General_Assembly) has reaffirmed Resolution 194 every year since 1949[2] and other UN resolutions have reaffirmed the right of return, including General Assembly Resolution 169 in 1980.[2]

Joshua Muravchik does not believe that resolution 194 enshrines a right of return, pointing out that the text states that the refugees "should be permitted" to return to their homes at the "earliest practicable date" and this recommendation applies only to those "wishing to... live at peace with their neighbors".[12]

### Palestinian and Arab views

The Arab states originally voted against resolution 194, but they began to reverse their position by spring 1949 and soon became its strongest advocates.[13] The 2002 [Arab Peace Initiative](/source/Arab_Peace_Initiative) softened their stance by calling for "a just solution which must also be accepted by Israel."[14]

Palestinian representatives initially rejected resolution 194 because they viewed it as being based on the illegality of the state of Israel. By their reasoning, Israel had no right to prevent the return of the "indigenous Arab people of Palestine".[15] Later, the [Palestine Liberation Organization](/source/Palestine_Liberation_Organization) (PLO) and other Palestinian organizations has come to view resolution 194 as one source of legal authority for the right of return.[16] In an address in 2009, Palestinian President [Mahmoud Abbas](/source/Mahmoud_Abbas) stated:[17]

This is in order to reach a comprehensive and balanced political solution to the conflict that ... will guarantee the rights of the Palestinian refugees to return to their homes in accordance with the legitimate international decisions and first and foremost Resolution 194.

Abbas has on other several occasions referred to a "just solution" to the Palestinian refugees "on the basis of Resolution 194".[18] [Hanan Ashrawi](/source/Hanan_Ashrawi), a member of the [PLO Executive Committee](/source/PLO_Executive_Committee) has similarly declared that resolution 194 enshrines a non-negotiable right of return:[19]

One must recognize rights according to international law and Resolution 194 of the United Nations. There is not a single Palestinian who will forgo the rights of the refugees. A leader who will tell you he will do this in order to propitiate you will lose credibility among his own people.

The Palestinian-led[20] [BDS movement](/source/BDS_movement) asserts that Israel must comply with international law by, among other things, "[r]especting, protecting and promoting the rights of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes and properties as stipulated in UN Resolution 194."[21]

### Israeli view

Israel does not believe that it has an obligation to let the refugees return, a view was promulgated by the Israeli leadership even before resolution 194 was adopted. In a cabinet meeting in June 1948 Israel's first [Prime Minister](/source/Prime_Minister_of_Israel), [David Ben-Gurion](/source/David_Ben-Gurion) stated: "They [the Palestinians] lost and fled. Their return must now be prevented.... And I will oppose their return also after the war."[22] Ben-Gurion's words were echoed by Prime Minister [Yitzhak Shamir](/source/Yitzhak_Shamir) who in 1992 declared that the return of the Palestinian refugees "will never happen in any way, shape or form. There is only a Jewish right of return to the land of Israel."[23]

Israel also argued that it did not have to compensate refugees for land and property that they had abandoned. In a press conference in 1949,[*[when?](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Manual_of_Style/Dates_and_numbers#Chronological_items)*] Sharett stated:[24]

To help finance resettlement projects in neighbouring countries Israel is prepared to pay compensation for land abandoned in Israel by Arabs who have fled. This, again, can only be arranged as part of a general peace settlement. For when peace is negotiated the payment of compensation by Israel for land abandoned by Arabs will not be the only financial item discussed. Israel will claim damages from the aggressor States for losses sustained as the result of their aggression and the crushing burden of war expenditures inflicted upon its population.

In the debates about [UN resolution 273](/source/United_Nations_General_Assembly_Resolution_273) in May 1949, about Israel's admittance to the UN, Israel's UN representative [Abba Eban](/source/Abba_Eban) promised that the state would honor its obligations under resolution 181 and resolution 194. El Salvador's representative asked:[25]

I wish to ask the representative of Israel whether he is authorized by his Government to assure the Committee that the State of Israel will do everything in its power to co-operate with the United Nations in order to put into effect (a) the General Assembly resolution of 29 November 1947 on the internationalization of the City of Jerusalem and the surrounding area [resolution 181] and (b) the General Assembly resolution of 11 December 1948 on the repatriation of the refugees [resolution 194].

Eban replied:[26]

I can give unqualified affirmative answer to the second question as to whether we will co-operate with the organs of the United Nations with all the means at our disposal in the fulfillment of the resolution concerning refugees. I cannot honestly conceal from the Committee that even our full co-operation with all the means at our disposal will not avail to solve this question unless it is considered against the general background of the Near East and unless similar co-operation from other neighbouring Governments and a large measure of international assistance are invested in the solution of this problem on a regional basis.

Israel was thus admitted to the United Nations in May 1949 on condition that it "unreservedly accepts the obligations of the UN Charter and undertakes to honour them from the day when it becomes a member of the UN."[27] But Israel didn't comply with the right of return as reaffirmed in resolution 194.[27]

Israel has offered to repatriate a number of refugees as part of negotiations: see the [Lausanne Conference (April-September 1949)](/source/Lausanne_Conference_of_1949), the [2000 Camp David negotiations](/source/2000_Camp_David_Summit), and [Israeli–Palestinian peace process, §Camp David 2000 Summit, Clinton's "Parameters," and the Taba talks](/source/Israeli%E2%80%93Palestinian_peace_process#Camp_David_2000_Summit,_Clinton's_"Parameters,"_and_the_Taba_talks).

### Polling

The Palestinian people have demonstrated strong support for a right of return based on resolution 194. In a 1999 poll by [Elia Zureik](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Elia_Zureik&action=edit&redlink=1), some 61.4% of the Palestinians in Israel said that a proper solution to the refugee issue should be based on resolution 194 and about half found such a solution feasible; in the [occupied Palestinian territories](/source/Occupied_Palestinian_territories), over 80% of the Palestinians considered resolution 194 to be a just solution to the refugee problem, and about 50% thought implementing 194 was feasible. In contrast, fewer than 5% of Jewish Israeli respondents thought resolution 194 was either just or feasible.[28]

## Voting results

The result of the voting was the following:[29][30]

**In Favor** [Argentina](/source/Argentina), [Australia](/source/Australia), [Belgium](/source/Belgium), [Brazil](/source/Brazil), [Canada](/source/Canada), [China](/source/China), [Colombia](/source/Colombia), [Denmark](/source/Denmark), [Dominican Republic](/source/Dominican_Republic), [Ecuador](/source/Ecuador), [El Salvador](/source/El_Salvador), [Ethiopia](/source/Ethiopia), [France](/source/France), [Greece](/source/Greece), [Haiti](/source/Haiti), [Honduras](/source/Honduras), [Iceland](/source/Iceland), [Liberia](/source/Liberia), [Luxembourg](/source/Luxembourg), [Netherlands](/source/Netherlands), [New Zealand](/source/New_Zealand), [Nicaragua](/source/Nicaragua), [Norway](/source/Norway), [Panama](/source/Panama), [Paraguay](/source/Paraguay), [Peru](/source/Peru), [Philippines](/source/Philippines), [South Africa](/source/South_Africa), [Sweden](/source/Sweden), [Thailand](/source/Thailand), [Turkey](/source/Turkey), [United Kingdom](/source/United_Kingdom), [United States](/source/United_States), [Uruguay](/source/Uruguay), [Venezuela](/source/Venezuela).

**Against** [Afghanistan](/source/Afghanistan), [Byelorrusian SSR](/source/Byelorussian_Soviet_Socialist_Republic), [Cuba](/source/Cuba), [Czechoslovakia](/source/Czechoslovakia), [Egypt](/source/Egypt), [Iraq](/source/Iraq), [Lebanon](/source/Lebanon), [Pakistan](/source/Pakistan), [Poland](/source/Poland), [Saudi Arabia](/source/Saudi_Arabia), [Syria](/source/Syria), [Ukrainian SSR](/source/Ukrainian_SSR), [USSR](/source/USSR), [Yemen](/source/Yemen), [Yugoslavia](/source/Yugoslavia).

**Abstaining** [Bolivia](/source/Bolivia), [Burma](/source/Burma), [Chile](/source/Chile), [Costa Rica](/source/Costa_Rica), [Guatemala](/source/Guatemala), [India](/source/India), [Iran](/source/Iran), [Mexico](/source/Mexico).

## Related resolutions

Adopted in the aftermath of the [Six-day war](/source/Six-day_war) in 1967, [Security Council Resolution 237](/source/United_Nations_Security_Council_Resolution_237) called upon Israel "to facilitate the return of those inhabitants who have fled the areas [occupied by Israel] since the outbreak of hostilities".[31][32]

[UN Resolution 3236 & 3237](/source/United_Nations_General_Assembly_Resolution_3236) adopted in 1974, and [UN Resolution 3379](/source/United_Nations_General_Assembly_Resolution_3379) adopted in 1975 which determined that Palestine have international representation for self-determination, UN Assembly observer status, and that the Palestinian people seek redress having been subjected to racial discrimination respectively.[33]

## Full text

*The General Assembly,*

Having considered further the situation in Palestine,

1. *Expresses* its deep appreciation of the progress achieved through the good offices of the late United Nations Mediator in promoting a peaceful adjustment of the future situation of Palestine, for which cause he sacrificed his life; and *Extends* its thanks to the Acting Mediator and his staff for their continued efforts and devotion to duty in Palestine;
1. *Establishes* a Conciliation Commission consisting of three States Members of the United Nations which shall have the following functions: 1. To assume, insofar as it considers necessary in existing circumstances, the functions given to the United Nations Mediator on Palestine by resolution 186 (S-2) of the General Assembly of 14 May 1948; 1. To carry out the specific functions and directives given to it by the present resolution and such additional functions and directives as may be given to it by the General Assembly or by the Security Council; 1. To undertake, upon the request of the Security Council, any of the functions now assigned to the United Nations Mediator on Palestine or to the United Nations Truce Commission by resolutions of the Security Council; upon such request to the Conciliation Commission by the Security Council with respect to all the remaining functions of the United Nations Mediator on Palestine under Security Council resolutions, the office of the Mediator shall be terminated;
1. *Decides* that a Committee of the Assembly, consisting of China, France, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the United Kingdom and the United States of America, shall present, before the end of the first part of the present session of the General Assembly, for the approval of the Assembly, a proposal concerning the names of the three States which will constitute the Conciliation Commission;
1. *Requests* the Commission to begin its functions at once, with a view to the establishment of contact between the parties themselves and the Commission at the earliest possible date;
1. *Calls upon* the Governments and authorities concerned to extend the scope of the negotiations provided for in the Security Council's resolution of 16 November 1948 and to seek agreement by negotiations conducted either with the Conciliation Commission or directly with a view to the final settlement of all questions outstanding between them;
1. *Instructs* the Conciliation Commission to take steps to assist the Government and authorities concerned to achieve a final settlement of all questions outstanding between them;
1. *Resolves* that the Holy Places—including Nazareth—religious buildings and sites in Palestine should be protected and free access to them assured, in accordance with existing rights and historical practice that arrangements to this end should be under effective United Nations supervision; that the United Nations Conciliation Commission, in presenting to the fourth regular session of the General Assembly its detailed proposal for a permanent international regime for the territory of Jerusalem, should include recommendations concerning the Holy Places in that territory; that with regard to the Holy Places in the rest of Palestine the Commission should call upon the political authorities of the areas concerned to give appropriate formal guarantees as to the protection of the Holy Places and access to them; and that these undertakings should be presented to the General Assembly for approval;
1. *Resolves* that, in view of its association with three world religions, the Jerusalem area, including the present municipality of Jerusalem plus the surrounding villages and towns, the most Eastern of which shall be [Abu Dis](/source/Abu_Dis); the most Southern, [Bethlehem](/source/Bethlehem); the most Western, [Ein Karim](/source/Ein_Kerem) (including also the built-up area of [Motsa](/source/Motsa)); and the most Northern, [Shu'fat](/source/Shuafat), should be accorded [special and separate treatment](/source/Corpus_separatum_(Jerusalem)) from the rest of Palestine and should be placed under effective United Nations control; *Requests* the Security Council to take further steps to ensure the demilitarization of Jerusalem at the earliest possible date; *Instructs* the Conciliation Commission to present to the fourth regular session of the General Assembly detailed proposals for a permanent international regime for the Jerusalem area which will provide for the maximum local autonomy for distinctive groups consistent with the special international status of the Jerusalem area; The Conciliation Commission is authorized to appoint a United Nations representative who shall cooperate with the local authorities with respect to the interim administration of the Jerusalem area;
1. Resolves that, pending agreement on more detailed arrangements among the Governments and authorities concerned, the freest possible access to Jerusalem by road, rail or air should be accorded to all inhabitants of Palestine; *Instructs* the Conciliation Commission to report immediately to the Security Council, for appropriate action by that organ, any attempt by any party to impede such access;
1. *Instructs* the Conciliation Commission to seek arrangements among the Governments and authorities concerned which will facilitate the economic development of the area, including arrangements for access to ports and airfields and the use of transportation and communication facilities;
1. *Resolves* that the refugees wishing to return to their homes and live at peace with their neighbours should be permitted to do so at the earliest practicable date, and that compensation should be paid for the property of those choosing not to return and for loss of or damage to property which, under principles of international law or in equity, should be made good by the Governments or authorities responsible; *Instructs* the Conciliation Commission to facilitate the repatriation, resettlement and economic and social rehabilitation of the refugees and the payment of compensation, and to maintain close relations with the Director of the United Nations Relief for Palestine Refugees and, through him, with the appropriate organs and agencies of the United Nations;
1. *Authorizes* the Conciliation Commission to appoint such subsidiary bodies and to employ such technical experts, acting under its authority, as it may find necessary for the effective discharge of its functions and responsibilities under the present resolution; The Conciliation Commission will have its official headquarters at Jerusalem. The authorities responsible for maintaining order in Jerusalem will be responsible for taking all measures necessary to ensure the security of the Commission. The Secretary-General will provide a limited number of guards for the protection of the staff and premises of the Commission;
1. *Instructs* the Conciliation Commission to render progress reports periodically to the Secretary-General for transmission to the Security Council and to the Members of the United Nations;
1. *Calls upon* all Governments and authorities concerned to cooperate with the Conciliation Commission and to take all possible steps to assist in the implementation of the present resolution;
1. *Requests* the Secretary-General to provide the necessary staff and facilities and to make appropriate arrangements to provide the necessary funds required in carrying out the terms of the present resolution.

## See also

- [Jewish refugees](/source/Jewish_refugees)

- [Lausanne Conference of 1949](/source/Lausanne_Conference_of_1949)

- [List of the UN resolutions concerning Israel](/source/List_of_the_UN_resolutions_concerning_Israel)

- [List of the UN resolutions concerning Palestine](/source/List_of_the_UN_resolutions_concerning_Palestine)

- [Palestinian refugees](/source/Palestinian_refugees)

- [United Nations Conciliation Commission](/source/United_Nations_Conciliation_Commission)

- [United Nations General Assembly Resolution 3236 (XXIX)](/source/United_Nations_General_Assembly_Resolution_3236_(XXIX))

- [UNRWA](/source/UNRWA)

## References

### Notes

1. **[^](#cite_ref-number_6-0)** The exact number of refugees is disputed. See [List of estimates of the Palestinian Refugee flight of 1948](/source/List_of_estimates_of_the_Palestinian_Refugee_flight_of_1948) for details.

### Citations

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTE''UNRWA''_1-0)** [*UNRWA*](#CITEREFUNRWA).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-res169_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-res169_2-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-res169_2-2) United Nations General Assembly Resolution 169 (1980), Article 66.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTE''UNGA''1948_3-0)** [*UNGA* 1948](#CITEREFUNGA1948).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1948Refugees_4-0)** ["1948 Refugees."](https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/israel-law-review/article/1948-refugees/1E997E364691F4379C6F77EC05BC84AD/core-reader) *Cambridge University*. 21 February 2018. 15 November 2020.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-enshrine_5-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-enshrine_5-1) [Masalha 2003](#CITEREFMasalha2003), p. 265: in line with the international consensus enshrined in UN Resolution 194.; [UNRWA: FAQ](#CITEREFUNRWA:_FAQ): The right of return is enshrined in UN General Assembly resolution 194.; [Hart 2010](#CITEREFHart2010), p. 135: UN General Assembly Resolution 194 enshrined the right of Palestinian refugees to return; [Susser 2017](#CITEREFSusser2017), p. 264: It reiterated the inalienable "right of return" as enshrined in Resolution 194 ...

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEMorris2001252–258_7-0)** [Morris 2001](#CITEREFMorris2001), pp. 252–258.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTENeff1995_8-0)** [Neff 1995](#CITEREFNeff1995): Bernadotte's first action had been to arrange a truce, which lasted from June 11 to July 9.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTERempel2009_9-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTERempel2009_9-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTERempel2009_9-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTERempel2009_9-3) [Rempel 2009](#CITEREFRempel2009).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTESlonim1994582_10-0)** [Slonim 1994](#CITEREFSlonim1994), p. 582.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEBernadotte1948_11-0)** [Bernadotte 1948](#CITEREFBernadotte1948).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTERadley1978600_12-0)** [Radley 1978](#CITEREFRadley1978), p. 600: The recommendations in his report formed the basis for key resolution 194

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEMuravchik201583_13-0)** [Muravchik 2015](#CITEREFMuravchik2015), p. 83.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTERadley1978601_14-0)** [Radley 1978](#CITEREFRadley1978), p. 601.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-15)** "Resolution 194 ... speaks of the right of all Palestinian refugees to return to their homes in Israel. But even the [Arab League](/source/Arab_League) modified this in 2002, with a new resolution proposing 'a just solution which must also be accepted by Israel.'" Amirav, M. (2007). We must learn from camp david. FT.Com, 1. Proquest.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-16)** [Radley 1978](#CITEREFRadley1978), p. 600: Palestinian political organizations, on the one hand, have always repudiated the resolution as illegal, being itself based upon the illegality of the state of Israel. ... what right can the illegitimate Jewish state prevent the return of the rightful "indigenous population."

1. **[^](#cite_ref-17)** [Halevi 2010](#CITEREFHalevi2010), p. 2: PLO, responsible for conducting diplomatic negotiations with Israel, views UN General Assembly Resolution 194 and the decisions of international institutions as the source of legal authority for the Palestinian demand.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHalevi20105_18-0)** [Halevi 2010](#CITEREFHalevi2010), p. 5.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHalevi20105-6_19-0)** [Halevi 2010](#CITEREFHalevi2010), p. 5-6.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHalevi201013_20-0)** [Halevi 2010](#CITEREFHalevi2010), p. 13.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTE''The_Times_of_Israel''2019Holmes2019Trew2019_21-0)** [*The Times of Israel* 2019](#CITEREFThe_Times_of_Israel2019): The Strategic Affairs Ministry said the Palestinian-led movement that promotes boycotts against Israel is behind the effort.; [Holmes 2019](#CITEREFHolmes2019): The event has become a target for the Palestinian-led Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) campaign; [Trew 2019](#CITEREFTrew2019): by activists spearheaded by the Palestinian-led campaign Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHitchcock20209_22-0)** [Hitchcock 2020](#CITEREFHitchcock2020), p. 9.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEShaoul2001_23-0)** [Shaoul 2001](#CITEREFShaoul2001).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTENeff1993_24-0)** [Neff 1993](#CITEREFNeff1993).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEMasalha2003137_25-0)** [Masalha 2003](#CITEREFMasalha2003), p. 137.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEBoyle2010279–80_26-0)** [Boyle 2010](#CITEREFBoyle2010), pp. 279–80.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-27)** ["Forty-Seventh Meeting"](https://www.un.org/unispal/document/auto-insert-185978/). United Nations. p. 276.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEFarah2013160_28-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEFarah2013160_28-1) [Farah 2013](#CITEREFFarah2013), p. 160.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEZureik1999_29-0)** [Zureik 1999](#CITEREFZureik1999).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-30)** [*UNGA* 1948](#CITEREFUNGA1948): In favour : Liberia, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Siam, Sweden, Turkey, Union of South Africa, United Kingdom, United States of America, Uruguay, Venezuela, Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Ethiopia, France, Greece, Haiti, Honduras, Iceland. Against : Iraq, Lebanon, Pakistan, Poland, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, Yemen, Yugoslavia, Afghanistan, Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic, Cuba, Czechoslovakia, Egypt. Abstaining: India, Iran, Mexico, Bolivia, Burma, Chile, Costa Rica, Guatemala.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-31)** ["A/PV.186 of 11 December 1948"](https://web.archive.org/web/20210627225213/https://unispal.un.org/UNISPAL.NSF/634ea0efe460133c852570c0006d53f2/f471df8e3f0efb94852574c600524e41?OpenDocument). *un.org*. Archived from [the original](https://unispal.un.org/UNISPAL.NSF/634ea0efe460133c852570c0006d53f2/f471df8e3f0efb94852574c600524e41?OpenDocument) on 27 June 2021. Retrieved 24 November 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTE''BADIL''200220_32-0)** [*BADIL* 2002](#CITEREFBADIL2002), p. 20.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTE''UNSC''1967_33-0)** [*UNSC* 1967](#CITEREFUNSC1967).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-34)** ["Mideast situation - SecCo debate - Verbatim record"](https://www.un.org/unispal/document/auto-insert-178440/). *Question of Palestine*. Retrieved 2024-04-02. It is significant that the Security Council cites the "Palestinian question" in its resolution 381 (1975) and has decided to invite the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) to participate in the debate on an equal footing and with the same rights as those conferred on a Member State under rule 37 of the provisional rules of procedure of the Council... Recorded history tells us that Jews have enjoyed tolerance in the Arab-Moslem States of the Middle East and North Africa where they found a safe refuge from persecutions in Europe. However, zionism, inspired by racial superiority, religious exclusivity and territorial expansionism, caused a rupture in the amicable relations between the Arabs and Jews in the area...

### Sources

- Radley, Kurt René (1978). "The Palestinian Refugees: The Right to Return in International Law". *American Journal of International Law*. **72** (3). Cambridge University Press (CUP): 586–614. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.2307/2200460](https://doi.org/10.2307%2F2200460). [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [0002-9300](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0002-9300). [JSTOR](/source/JSTOR_(identifier)) [2200460](https://www.jstor.org/stable/2200460). [S2CID](/source/S2CID_(identifier)) [147111254](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:147111254).

- Bernadotte, Folke (16 September 1948). ["Progress report (16 September 1948)"](https://unispal.un.org/UNISPAL.NSF/0/AB14D4AAFC4E1BB985256204004F55FA). *UN Mediator on Palestine*. Retrieved 17 November 2020.

- Slonim, Shlomo (1994). "Israeli policy on Jerusalem at the United Nations, 1948". *Middle Eastern Studies*. **30** (3). Informa UK Limited: 579–596. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1080/00263209408701012](https://doi.org/10.1080%2F00263209408701012). [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [0026-3206](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0026-3206).

- Neff, Donald (September 1995). ["Jewish Terrorists Assassinate U.N. Peacekeeper Count Folke Bernadotte"](https://www.wrmea.org/1995-september/jewish-terrorists-assassinate-u.n.-peacekeeper-count-folke-bernadotte.html). *Washington Report on Middle East Affairs*: 83–84.

- Neff, Donald (November–December 1993). ["The Passage of U.N. Resolution 194"](https://www.wrmea.org/1993-november-december/the-passage-of-u.n.-resolution-194.html). *Washington Report on Middle East Affairs*: 84–92.

- Rempel, Terry (2009). ["Resolution 194 (III), A Retrospective"](http://www.badil.org/en/publication/periodicals/al-majdal/item/3-resolution-194-iii-a-retrospective.html). *Palestine's Ongoing Nakba* (39–40). BADIL Resource Center for Palestinian Residency and Refugee Rights. Retrieved 17 November 2020.

- ["Resolution 194"](https://www.unrwa.org/content/resolution-194). *UNRWA*. Retrieved 17 November 2020.

- Morris, Benny (2001). [*Righteous Victims: A History of the Zionist–Arab conflict, 1881–2001*](https://archive.org/details/righteousvictims00morr_0/page/252) (1st Vintage Books ed.). New York: Vintage Books. pp. [252–258](https://archive.org/details/righteousvictims00morr_0/page/252). [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-679-74475-7](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-679-74475-7).

- ["A/PV.186"](https://unispal.un.org/UNISPAL.NSF/634ea0efe460133c852570c0006d53f2/f471df8e3f0efb94852574c600524e41?OpenDocument). *United Nations Information System on the Question of Palestine*. December 11, 1948. Retrieved November 24, 2020.

- ["S/RES/237"](https://unispal.un.org/DPA/DPR/unispal.nsf/0/E02B4F9D23B2EFF3852560C3005CB95A). *UNISPAL-United Nations Information System on the Question of Palestine*. June 14, 1967. Retrieved November 25, 2020.

- Hart, Alan (August 13, 2010). [*Zionism: The Real Enemy of the Jews, Volume 2: David Becomes Goliath*](https://books.google.com/books?id=H8Z4pBwK-foC&pg=PT135). SCB Distributors. pp. 135–. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-932863-79-9](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-932863-79-9).

- Susser, Asher (February 21, 2017). ["Historical Narratives and the Issue of Trust"](https://books.google.com/books?id=04k0DgAAQBAJ&pg=PA264). In Ilai Alon; Daniel Bar-Tal (eds.). *The Role of Trust in Conflict Resolution: The Israeli-Palestinian Case and Beyond*. Springer. pp. 259–269. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-3-319-43355-4](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-3-319-43355-4).

- Farah, Randa (October 31, 2013). Niklaus Steiner; Mark Gibney; Gil Loescher (eds.). [*Problems of Protection: The UNHCR, Refugees, and Human Rights*](https://books.google.com/books?id=iRTfAQAAQBAJ&pg=PA160). Routledge. pp. 160–. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1-135-39548-3](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-135-39548-3).

- Boyle, Francis A. (August 13, 2010). [*Palestine, Palestinians and International Law*](https://books.google.com/books?id=URcq-uIuCQUC&pg=PT279). SCB Distributors. pp. 279–. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-932863-92-8](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-932863-92-8).

- Shaoul, Jean (January 22, 2001). ["Zionism's legacy of ethnic cleansing"](https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2001/01/pal1-j22.html). *World Socialist Web Site*. Retrieved November 24, 2020.

- Halevi, Jonathan D. (2010). ["The Palestinian Refugees on the Day After "Independence""](https://web.archive.org/web/20220419150216/https://css.ethz.ch/en/services/digital-library/publications/publication.html/141417). Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs. Archived from [the original](https://css.ethz.ch/en/services/digital-library/publications/publication.html/141417) on 2022-04-19. Retrieved 2020-11-25.

- ["BDS-backed Twitter bot network is targeting Eurovision, Israel charges"](https://www.timesofisrael.com/bds-backed-twitter-bot-network-targeting-eurovision-israel-charges/). *The Times of Israel*. 3 May 2019. Retrieved 16 May 2019.

- Trew, Bel (15 May 2019). ["Tourists come face-to-face with Eurovision's darker side: 'No pride in apartheid'"](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/eurovision-2019-israel-palestine-bds-west-bank-middle-east-a8914806.html). *The Independent*. Retrieved 16 May 2019.

- Holmes, Oliver (7 May 2019). ["Israel says it will not allow in activists planning to 'disturb' Eurovision"](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/may/07/israel-says-it-will-not-allow-in-activists-targeting-eurovision). *The Guardian*. Retrieved 16 May 2019.

- Hitchcock, Jennifer Megan (June 29, 2020). [*A Rhetorical Frame Analysis of Palestinian-Led Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) Movement Discourse*](https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/english_etds/102). *ODU Digital Commons* (PhD). Retrieved September 21, 2020.

- ["Frequently asked questions"](https://www.unrwa.org/who-we-are/frequently-asked-questions). *UNRWA*. Retrieved August 9, 2020.

- ["Right of Return"](http://www.badil.org/phocadownload/Badil_docs/publications/al-majdal-14.pdf) (PDF). *Al-Majdal* (14). BADIL Resource Center for Palestinian Residency and Refugee Rights. Summer 2002. Retrieved November 25, 2020.

- Muravchik, Joshua (2015-12-15). [*Making David into Goliath: How the World Turned Against Israel*](https://books.google.com/books?id=3ErLCgAAQBAJ&pg=PT121). Encounter Books. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9781594038464](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9781594038464).

- Masalha, Nur (October 20, 2003). [*The Politics of Denial: Israel and the Palestinian Refugee Problem*](https://books.google.com/books?id=i9EmAQAAMAAJ). Pluto Press. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-7453-2120-2](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-7453-2120-2).

- Zureik, Elia (December 1999). ["Public Opinion and Palestinian Refugees"](https://prrn.mcgill.ca/research/papers/zureik3.htm). *Palestinian Refugee ResearchNet*. Retrieved November 25, 2020.

v t e United Nations Secretary-General: António Guterres Deputy Secretary-General: Amina J. Mohammed General Assembly President: Annalena Baerbock UN System Charter Preamble Principal organs Secretariat Secretary-General selections Deputy Secretary-General Under-Secretary-General General Assembly President International Court of Justice Statute Security Council Members President Reform Veto power Economic and Social Council President Trusteeship Council Funds, programmes, and other bodies Culture of Peace IAEA IPCC ITC MINURSO OHCHR SCSL UNAIDS UNCDF UNCITRAL UNCTAD UNDGC UNDP UNDPO peacekeeping UNEP OzonAction UNEP/GRID-Arendal UNEP-WCMC UNFPA UN-HABITAT UNHCR UNHRC UNICEF UNICRI UNIDIR UNITAR UN-Oceans UNODC UNOPS UNOSAT UNRISD UNRWA UNSDG UNSSC UNU UNU-CRIS UNU-OP UNV UN Women WFP Specialized agencies FAO ICAO IFAD ILO IMF IMO IOM ITU UN Tourism UNESCO UNIDO UPU WFEO WHO WIPO WMO World Bank Group IBRD IDA IFC Secretariat offices and departments Headquarters Conference Building General Assembly Building Secretariat Building Relocation proposals Department of Economic and Social Affairs Department of Peace Operations Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Dag Hammarskjöld Library Department for Safety and Security Division for Palestinian Rights Office at Geneva Palace of Nations Office at Nairobi Office at Vienna Office for Disarmament Affairs Office for Outer Space Affairs Office for Partnerships Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Office of Internal Oversight Services Office of Legal Affairs Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States Office of Counter-Terrorism Office of the Secretary-General's Envoy on Youth Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General Office on Sport for Development and Peace UN organizations by location Members and observers Founding members Full members Security Council Permanent members Permanent representatives to the UN list General Assembly Observers European Union History Preceding years International Telegraph Union Universal Postal Union Hague Conventions of 1899 and 1907 Permanent Court of Arbitration International Office of Public Hygiene League of Nations archives covenant organization member states Preparatory years Declaration of St James's Palace (1941) Atlantic Charter (1941) Declaration by United Nations (1942) Moscow Conference (1943) Tehran Conference (1943) Bretton Woods Conference (1944) Dumbarton Oaks Conference (1944) Yalta Conference (1945) Conference on International Organization (1945) Genocide Convention (1948) Activities Enlargement Peacekeeping missions timeline governed territories UNPOL Universal Declaration of Human Rights drafting Human Rights Day World Heritage Convention Convention on the Rights of the Child committee Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues Indigenous Caucus Sustainable Development Goals Declaration on the Rights of Peasants Declaration of the Trafficking of Enslaved Africans as the Gravest Crime against Humanity Permanent Forum on People of African Descent Decade for People of African Descent Day of Remembrance for Slavery Resolutions Security Council vetoes General Assembly 66th 67th Security Council Cyprus Iran Iraq Israel Lebanon Nagorno-Karabakh North Korea Palestine Syria Western Sahara Yemen Elections Secretary-General 2026 2021 2016 International Court of Justice 2023 2022 2021 2020 2017 2014 2011 General Assembly President (2016) Security council Related Outline Advisory Committee of Local Authorities Art Collection Security Council mural Block By Block Bretton Woods system Celestial Sphere Woodrow Wilson Memorial CCISUA Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Criticism Delivering as One Drug control treaties Expulsion from the United Nations Ex Tempore Federal Credit Union FICSA Flag Honour Flag Four Nations Initiative Global Compact International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons International Day of Peace International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-Violence for the Children of the World International Narcotics Control Board International School Hanoi Interpretation Service Laissez-passer Memorial Cemetery Korea Military Staff Committee Millennium Declaration Millennium Summit Model United Nations Official languages Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons Postal Administration Ralph Bunche Park Reform SDG Publishers Compact Standard Minimum Rules for the Administration of Juvenile Justice Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners Treaty Series Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons UN Mandate UN Sacco UN Special UNICEF club United Nations Day United Nations in popular culture United Nations Medal United Nations Prize in the Field of Human Rights United Nations Radio United Nations television film series University for Peace Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action WIPO Treaty on Intellectual Property, Genetic Resources and Associated Traditional Knowledge Withdrawal from the United Nations Women in peacekeeping World Federation of United Nations Associations World Population Prospects World portal

v t e Diplomacy and peace proposals in the Arab–Israeli conflict Background 1914 Damascus Protocol 1915 McMahon–Hussein correspondence 1916 Sykes–Picot Agreement 1917 Balfour Declaration 1918 Declaration to the Seven / Anglo-French Declaration 1919 Faisal–Weizmann agreement 1920 San Remo conference 1922 Churchill White Paper 1937 Peel Commission 1939 White Paper 1939 London Conference 1946 Morrison–Grady Plan 1947 Bevin Plan 1946–47 London Conference 1947 UN Partition Plan 1948 American trusteeship proposal 1948–1988 1948 UN General Assembly (UNGA) Resolution 194 1949 Armistice agreements / Lausanne Conference 1950 Tripartite Declaration 1967 Khartoum Resolution / UN Security Council (UNSC) Resolution 242 1971 UNSC Resolution 298 1973 UNSC Resolution 338 / UNSC Resolution 339 1974 Israel–Syria disengagement agreement / UNSC Resolution 350 1978 UNSC Resolution 425 / Camp David Accords 1979 UNSC Resolution 446 / Egypt–Israel peace treaty Palestinian autonomy talks / UNSC Resolution 452 1980 UNSC Resolution 478 / Venice Declaration 1981 UNSC Resolution 497 1981–1982 Fahd Plan 1982 Reagan peace plan 1983 Israel–Lebanon agreement 1987 Peres–Hussein London Agreement / Amirav-Husseini peace meetings 1988 1988 Shultz Initiative / 1988 Yasser Arafat speech to the United Nations General Assembly 1990 Saddam Hussein initiative of 12 August 1990 1991–2016 1991 Madrid Conference 1993 Oslo Accords Letters of recognition Middle East Peace Facilitation Act 1994 Gaza–Jericho Agreement / Israel–Jordan peace treaty 1995 Beilin–Abu Mazen agreement 1998 Wye River Memorandum 1999 Sharm El Sheikh Memorandum 2000 Camp David Summit / Clinton Parameters 2000 Isratin 2001 Taba Summit / Mitchell Report 2002 Beirut Summit and peace initiative / Road map / Elon Plan 2003 Geneva Initiative 2004 UNSC Resolution 1559 / UNSC Resolution 1566 2005 UNSC Resolution 1583 / Sharm El Sheikh Summit / Israeli disengagement from the Gaza Strip / Agreement on Movement and Access / Valley of Peace initiative 2006 UNSC Resolution 1850 / Quartet Principles 2006 UNSC Resolution 1701 2007 Annapolis Conference 2010 Israeli–Palestinian peace talks 2011 Israeli Peace Initiative 2013 Israeli–Palestinian peace talks 2016 John Kerry Parameters 2020–present 2020 Israel–Palestine peace plan / Abraham Accords Israel–UAE normalization agreement Bahrain–Israel normalization agreement Israel–Sudan normalization agreement Israel–Morocco normalization agreement 2022 Israeli–Lebanese maritime border agreement 2025 Palestinian Emirates Plan / Gaza peace plan 2026 Israel–Lebanon peace talks

v t e Nakba Background Mandatory Palestine Palestine Intercommunal conflict in Mandatory Palestine 1936–1939 Arab revolt in Palestine Plan Dalet 1947 partition plan Israeli Declaration of Independence New Historians Main articles 1947–1949 Palestine war 1947–1948 civil war 1948 Arab–Israeli War 1948 Palestinian expulsion and flight causes UNRWA Nakba Day Nakba denial Palestine refugee camps Palestinian refugee Palestinian right of return Present absentee Transfer Committee Resolution 194 Key incidents The battle of Hatikvah Neighborhood (1947) Battle of Haifa Deir Yassin massacre Expulsion from Lydda and Ramle Notable writers Aref al-Aref Yoav Gelber Efraim Karsh Walid Khalidi Nur Masalha Benny Morris Ilan Pappé Tom Segev Avraham Sela Avi Shlaim The Origins and Evolution of the Palestine Problem Related categories/lists Villages depopulated during the 1948 Palestinian exodus Related templates Palestinians Arab–Israeli conflict Israeli–Palestinian conflict Gaza–Israel conflict The Holocaust and the Nakba

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [United Nations General Assembly Resolution 194](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_General_Assembly_Resolution_194) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_General_Assembly_Resolution_194?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.