But Abbas and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun signed a joint statement that covered how Lebanon should treat its Palestinian "guests."
Regarding the status of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon:
1. The two sides affirm their commitment to the right of return of Palestinian refugees to the homes from which they were displaced, in accordance with UN Resolution 194, and their rejection of all settlement and displacement projects.2. The two sides stress the importance of continuing to support the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) and continuing to provide its services to Palestinian refugees, while working to increase its financial resources to enable it to fulfill its obligations.3. The two sides agree to form a joint Lebanese-Palestinian committee to monitor the situation in Palestinian camps in Lebanon and work to improve the living and humanitarian conditions of refugees, while respecting Lebanese sovereignty and adhering to Lebanese laws.4. The two sides affirm their commitment to providing the human, social, and economic rights of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon, ensuring a dignified life for them without prejudice to their right of return or affecting their national identity.
The reference to Lebanese laws means that Palestinians in Lebanon will continue to be barred from many professions, that they cannot own land, they cannot easily access Lebanese health services, they cannot attend Lebanese public schools and universities, and they are not eligible for citizenship no matter how many generations they have lived in Lebanon.
Once again, Abbas that thrown the Lebanese Palestinians under the bus in the name of maintaining their "right of return" and "maintaining their national identity."
However, one has nothing to do with the other. The Palestinians in Lebanon overwhelmingly want to become full citizens but they also claim to want to maintain their "national identity" and "right to return." There is no contradiction. And one person who has said that was - Mahmoud Abbas himself, in 2005.
DUBAI, 12 July 2005 — Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas told Arab countries hosting Palestinian refugees to give them citizenship, insisting such a move would not compromise their right of return.“I call upon every Arab government wishing to give citizenship (to Palestinian refugees) to do so. What is wrong with that?” he said in an interview with Dubai Television late Sunday.But the Palestinian Authority president insisted that obtaining citizenship in a host-country should not compromise the right to return to their homeland of which many Palestinian refugees dream.“This does not mean resettlement (of refugees). A Palestinian would return to his homeland whenever he is allowed, whether he carried an Arab or non-Arab citizenship,” he said. “A fifth-generation Palestinian living in Chile also wishes to return when allowed ... It is an emotional matter, not related to citizenship,” he added.The Palestinian leader, who visited Syria and Lebanon last week — both host to hundreds of thousands of refugees, slammed claims that the Arab League had banned naturalization of refugees as “mere excuses”. “There is no decision ... the Arab League only recommended (not to grant citizenship) but this was not a decision,” he said.
He didn't defend that position for long. After condemnations and pressure from Lebanese and Palestinian leaders, by 2008, Abbas said, "We won't accept a settlement that obliges Lebanon to naturalize even one Palestinian."
It didn't take Abbas long to throw his fellow Palestinian Arabs under the bus.
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