text: genesis, identifying the crux of the issue, the Security Council will not be able to diagnose the disease that has permeated the region for more than two decades, Any endeavour to cure the symptoms while ignoring the root is bound to crumble, as the past years have shown. 8. What are the roots of the matter? The ro0.t of the tragedy is the denial of the rights of the Palestinians in their homeland, A people comprising about 2% million is not given the opportunity to exercise its legitimate right of self-determination. Around half of them live in the abomin- able shanties of the camps, on international alms-and, on many occasions, a rather reluctant ‘rather than generous charity. The injustice inflicted on them stems from the Zionist character of Israel. 9. The creation of a Jewish State entailed the displace- ment of the indigenous Arab majority. Thus different methods designed to evict the Palestinians were employed. Terror, force, and sometimes blandishments, among many other things, achieved their end. 10. Years of dispersion have not stiffed the yearnings of the Palestinians to return to their homeland. The future does not bode well in this respect. Thus the conflict continues, with Israel denying the rights of the Palestinians in their land, and the latter clinging tenaciously to their indisputable rights. Why does Israel negate these rights. The answer lies in its Zionist character that prevents the development of a State in which non-Jews can live, as well as Jews, or even a State in which non-Jews-and this means, most particularly, Palestinians-can live at all. This exclu- sivist character, which insists upon the maintenance at almost all costs of a large Jewish majority, cannot allow for the repatriation of Palestinian refugees. 11, The Zionist emphasis upon the continued existence of a demographically Jewish State, which is embodied in 
analysis: The text appears to be a political commentary on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, focusing on the rights of the Palestinians and the Zionist character of Israel. The author argues that the root of the issue lies in the denial of Palestinian rights to self-determination and the displacement of the indigenous Arab majority. The text does not discuss economic, environmental, or scientific issues, but rather highlights the humanitarian and political aspects of the conflict.