THE ONGOING CATASTROPHE
#EndTheNakba
What is the Nakba?
"The Nakba is Arabic for ‘catastrophe’ or ‘calamity,’ and it refers to the ethnic cleansing of Palestine at the hand of Zionist militias between 1947-1948 and the subsequent establishment of the state of Israel. This campaign of ethnic cleansing took place before, during, and after the war of 1948, and saw approximately 800,000 Palestinians expelled from their homes, and over 530 Palestinian communities demolished. Today, Israel can only maintain itself as an ethnocracy by perpetuating the displacement of these refugees and their descendants."
How is the Nakba Ongoing?
73 Years after the Nakba, the catastrophe continues.
A woman stands on the ruins of her house in the East Jerusalem neighbourhood of Beit Hanina, July 19, 2018 (Reuters)
Ethnic Cleansing. In 1948, 800,000 Palestinians became refugees. Tens of thousands more lost their homes. Palestinians lost 531 villages and many cities, like Jaffa and Lydda. Today, Palestinian villages like Al-Araqib and Um Al-Hiran in the Naqab (Negev Desert) and Sheikh Jarrah and Silwan in Jerusalem are still being destroyed. Villages like Susiya and Al-Walaja in the West Bank are threatened as well.
Dispossession. Today, there are over 7 million refugees who have the right to return to their homes, as guaranteed by UN Resolution 194 in 1948. Yet, Israel has prohibited them from doing so. These refugees have endured poverty, discrimination, massacres, and wars.
Militarization. Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza have lived under military occupation for more than 50 years. There is no accountability under military occupation. This situation is so bad that in 2016 the Israeli human rights group B’Tselem stopped taking complaints to the military court.
Mass Incarceration. According to the human rights organization Addameer, one in five Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza has been jailed since Israeli occupation began. Israel regularly arrests children, like Ahed Tamimi, who marked her 17th birthday in prison.
Walls of Separation. Israel’s separation wall in the West Bank contributes to the de facto annexation of Israel’s illegal settlements. It isolates farmers from their land and water. Along with checkpoints, the wall creates severe impediments to Palestinian movement.
Racism. According to the human rights organization Adalah, more than 65 Israeli laws discriminate against Palestinians, who are 20% of the population of Israeli citizens. Almost half of Israeli Jews favor the expulsion of Israel’s Palestinian citizens, according to a 2016 Pew poll.
Repression of Expression & Protest. In Israel, commemorating the Nakba is illegal. Hundreds of Palestinians have been arrested for Facebook posts.
Siege. Palestinians in Gaza have survived 14 years of siege and Israeli military attacks.
