Whose Home Is It? Reflections on the Palestinians' Interest in Return

Abstract

This paper investigates whether Palestinians have an interest in return rather than a mere interest in settling within the territory of a state that provides them with civil rights and economic opportunities. The paper establishes the following three claims. First, Palestinians have some interests in return to the territory of Palestine-Israel. Second, many of these interests can be satisfied (at least to some extent) by establishing an independent Palestinian state in part of historical Palestine. Third, some of these interests are similar to the interests that may justify an analogous right of return for Jews to the same land.