For the Palestinian people to succeed against odds, they should channel the narrative into the civil rights dimension. This would resonate with American populace loud enough that the other side couldn't smother the call. At this point, rather than highlighting the right of return, Palestinian victims of ethnic cleansing ought to emphasize their right to vote in Israeli elections. Key talking points:

1. Democracy is the solution advocated for the Middle East conflict by the US Administration.

2. Israel is not democratic unless refugees get to vote or, at best, only as democratic as the US South before Rosa Parks rode the bus.

3. Under the standard operating procedure in numerous other conflicts, such as former Yugoslavia, refugee vote is a part and parcel of the ultimate peace deal.

Anatoly Panov

Moscow, Russia