All articles tagged with #nakba
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani marked Nakba Day with a post that included a video interview of a Palestinian resident and images of a 1936 Zionist-era poster, prompting pushback from Israeli activist Hen Mazzig who said the post weaponizes trauma and erases another narrative, highlighting Mamdani’s long-standing pro-Palestinian stance and DSA ties amid ongoing Israel-Palestine debates.
Palestinians in Gaza marked Nakba Day, saying the ongoing war and humanitarian crisis surrounding them today surpass the scale and suffering of the 1948 expulsions, and they urged international aid and a ceasefire as civilians bear the brunt of the catastrophe.
An on-the-ground analysis argues that Israel's campaign in Jenin, Nur Shams, and Tulkarm refugee camps in the northern West Bank amounts to a Gaza-like genocide in denial, with about 40,000 people forcibly displaced over 19 days, widespread destruction of homes and infrastructure, and intensified settlement expansion and apartheid-style travel restrictions designed to erase Palestinian refugees and undermine their right of return while extending control over historic Palestine.
The article explores the enduring impact of the Nakba on Palestinians, highlighting their ongoing exile and the persistent hope for return, through portraits and stories of Palestinian refugees and their experiences across generations.
The article describes the ongoing displacement of Gazans due to Israel's military actions, drawing parallels to the 1948 Nakba, and highlights the deep fears of permanent exile among Palestinians, with many families losing their homes and contemplating the possibility of never returning.
The article highlights the ongoing escalation in the West Bank, where IDF soldiers and settlers are expelling Palestinians, leading to a creeping Nakba, amidst broader regional conflicts involving missile attacks, military aid, and violence.
The Palestinian Authority's Fatah faction has blamed Hamas for the current "Nakba," accusing them of causing disastrous outcomes and questioning their commitment to national priorities. This comes in response to Hamas's critique of the appointment of new Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa, with Fatah mocking Hamas and questioning their decisions, including the 2007 coup and their alliance with Iran. The two factions have a history of rivalry, with Fatah highlighting Hamas's luxurious lifestyle in Qatar and their abandonment of the Palestinian people during conflicts. Hamas, however, has been gaining popularity in the Palestinian street, recording successes in local and student elections.
Fears of another Palestinian exodus are spreading across the Middle East as Israel intensifies its aerial bombardment of the Gaza Strip. The region, home to over 5.9 million Palestinian refugees, is concerned about the potential displacement of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to neighboring countries. While Israel denies any intention to evict Gazans, inflammatory rhetoric from some members of Israel's right-wing government has heightened Arab fears. Protests in solidarity with the Palestinians have erupted across the Arab world and in several European capitals and US cities, calling for an end to Israel's bombardment and the 17-year blockade of Gaza.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has rejected the "forced displacement" of Palestinians in Gaza, warning that it would constitute a "second nakba" or catastrophe. He urged the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to allow humanitarian corridors in the blockaded coastal enclave to prevent a humanitarian disaster. Israel has called for the evacuation of all civilians in Gaza city, indicating a possible ground operation, and has given the United Nations 24 hours to move its staff from nearby areas. The White House has acknowledged that evacuating the population within 24 hours is a challenging task.
The Israel-Palestine conflict, one of the world's longest-running conflicts, has its roots in the Balfour Declaration of 1917, which promised a national home for the Jewish people in Palestine. The conflict escalated with the Arab Revolt in the 1930s, the UN partition plan in 1947, and the ethnic cleansing of Palestine in 1948. Subsequent events include the Naksa (Six-Day War), the first and second Intifadas, the formation of the Palestinian Authority, and the wars on the Gaza Strip. The conflict has resulted in the displacement of millions of people and numerous casualties, with ongoing tensions and violence.
Israeli propaganda and misinformation campaigns have intensified in recent years, aiming to undermine the status and rights of Palestinian refugees. This article debunks five common myths surrounding Palestinian refugees, including the claim that they left in 1948 due to Arab leaders' orders, the notion that only Palestinians pass on refugee status to their children, the belief that UNRWA gives Palestinians an unfair advantage, the argument that Palestinians have no right of return under international law, and the misconception that the Nakba ended in 1948. The ongoing displacement and dispossession of Palestinians through settler colonialism highlight the need for recognition and resolution of their refugee crisis.
Nakba Day marks an ongoing and exhaustively documented historic catastrophe, a catastrophe on which the State of Israel as we know it was built. Contrary to popular belief in Israel, the only documented case in which Arab leaders called upon the Arab population to flee was in Haifa. With limited exceptions, Palestinian refugees were never allowed to return to their homes and land, a declared Israeli policy that was drawn up already during the war. The Nakba is reaffirmed in every encounter with a soldier at a checkpoint, every land expropriation and restriction on movement, or war on Gaza. Recognition and solidarity with the Palestinian catastrophe and pain comprise a real chance for a peaceful and secure life in Israel.
Leila Giries, a Nakba survivor, reflects on her annual pilgrimage to her family's uprooted village of Ain Karim and the ongoing dispossession of Palestinians since the establishment of Israel in 1948. She calls for the recognition and addressing of the Nakba and ongoing dispossession in a just manner for lasting peace. Giries also highlights the growing recognition of apartheid by the American public and the need for the US government to pressure Israel for true justice and freedom for Palestinians. She dreams of rebuilding her ancestral land with equality and justice for all.
The US, UK, and Germany were among the countries that skipped a UN event commemorating the 75th anniversary of the dispossession of Palestinians, after Israel called for a boycott. Israeli officials urged diplomats of other nations not to participate, and Israel's ambassador to the UN sent a letter to other UN ambassadors "deeply urging" them not to take part. The US and the UK were among 30 countries that voted against a UN General Assembly resolution in December to adopt this year's commemoration. The UN's website for the event and a video it posted about the Nakba largely avoided mention of Israel, focusing instead on the suffering of the Palestinians.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has called on the United Nations to suspend Israel’s membership in the world body unless it ends its aggression against Palestinians and implements UN resolutions establishing separate Israeli and Palestinian states as well as the return of Palestinian refugees. Abbas spoke during the first official UN commemoration of the flight of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from what is now Israel amid the violence of the partition of Palestine 75 years ago. More than 760,000 Palestinians fled or were expelled from their homes in 1948 when Israel was created, an event Palestinians call Nakba — or catastrophe.