THE PALESTINIAN REFUGEES’ RIGHT OF RETURN AS A CONDITIO SINE QUA NON FOR ISRAEL’S UNITED NATIONS MEMBERSHIP: A LEGAL ANALYSIS

Öz

The Palestinian Right of Return is a fundamental human right that affirms the entitlement of Palestinian refugees and their descendants—estimated at over seven million people—to return to their original homes and properties from which they were expelled by Zionist militias that later formed the state of Israel. This paper explores the legal foundations of this right, which was first articulated by United Nations mediator Count Folke Bernadotte in June 1948. It is widely recognized as a human right protected under international law and embedded in customary international law. The study also examines Israel’s admission to the United Nations, which was pursued shortly after its declaration of independence in May 1948. Following initial rejections, Israel’s membership was recommended by the Security Council through Resolution 69 and was explicitly conditioned on its “unreserved acceptance” of the obligations of the UN Charter. General Assembly Resolution 273, which granted Israel membership, specifically referenced Resolutions 181 (the Partition Plan) and 194 (concerning the return of Palestinian refugees). The paper further highlights Israel’s ongoing non-compliance with these resolutions and its obligations under the UN Charter. Although Israel formally accepted these obligations during its admission process, its subsequent actions have consistently demonstrated a denial of the Palestinian Right of Return. Finally, the paper analyzes the legal implications of Israel’s non-compliance with UN resolutions and considers its impact on the legitimacy of Israel’s continued membership in the United Nations.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Right of return
• Palestinian refugees
• Israel UN membership
• condicio sine qua non
• UN resolution 194
• international law

Etik Beyan

There is no requirement of Ethics Committee Approval for this study.

Filistinli Mültecilerin Geri Dönüş Hakkı, İsrail’in Birleşmiş Milletler Üyeliği için Condicio sine qua non Olarak: Hukuki Bir Analiz

Öz

Filistinlilerin Geri Dönüş Hakkı, Filistinli mülteciler ve onların yedi milyonu aşkın torunlarının, Siyonist milisler tarafından zorla çıkarıldıkları ve daha sonra İsrail devletini oluşturan topraklara geri dönme hakkını savunan temel bir insan hakkıdır. Bu çalışma, Haziran 1948’de Birleşmiş Milletler arabulucusu Kont Folke Bernadotte tarafından ilk kez dile getirilen bu hakkın hukuki temellerini incelemektedir. Bu hak, uluslararası hukuk tarafından korunan ve örfî hukukta yer alan bir insan hakkı olarak geniş çapta kabul görmektedir. Çalışma ayrıca, İsrail’in Mayıs 1948’teki bağımsızlık ilanından kısa bir süre sonra başvurduğu Birleşmiş Milletler üyeliğini ele almaktadır. İlk reddedilmelerin ardından, İsrail’in üyeliği Güvenlik Konseyi’nin 69 No’lu Kararı ile tavsiye edilmiş ve BM Şartı’ndaki yükümlülükleri “kayıtsız şartsız kabul etmesi” şartına bağlanmıştır. İsrail’in üyeliğini kabul eden Genel Kurul’un 273 No’lu Kararı, özellikle 181 No’lu (Bölünme Planı) ve 194 No’lu (Filistinli mültecilerin geri dönüşü) kararları hatırlatmıştır. Bu çalışma, İsrail’in söz konusu kararlar ve BM Şartı kapsamındaki yükümlülüklerine uymadığını ve bu yükümlülükleri yerine getirmeye istekli olmadığını ortaya koymaktadır. İsrail, üyelik sürecinde bu yükümlülükleri resmi olarak kabul etmiş olsa da, sonraki eylemleri Filistinlilerin geri dönüş hakkını sürekli olarak inkâr ettiğini göstermektedir. Son olarak, çalışmada İsrail’in BM kararlarına uymamasının hukuki sonuçları ve bu durumun İsrail’in BM üyeliğinin meşruiyeti üzerindeki etkisi analiz edilmektedir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Geri dönüş hakkı
• Filistinli mülteciler
• condicio sine qua non
• İsrail’in BM üyeliği
• BM kararı 194
• uluslararası hukuk

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