Gandhi's Grandson Urges Palestinians to March Home

Sun Aug 29, 2004 12:09 PM ET
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."

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