The Nakba: 70 Years On
As Palestinians commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Nakba in 2018, this bulletin presents a Palestinian narrative of the history of the events preceding and surrounding the Nakba and the partition of Palestine (1947-49). It shows how Palestine became a pawn in the hands of European countries, Jewish Zionists and Arab leaders, and explains why and how the Nakba – displacement and dispossession – continues to this day with land confiscations, settlement construction, and the denial of basic rights. At the same time, it emphasizes the steadfastness and resistance of the Palestinians to this day – despite all the repressions and attempts at erasing or distorting their history and memory they face – and argues that the 1948 Nakba not only remains the root cause of both the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and of the gross injustice inflicted on the Palestinian people, but will continue to fuel the Palestinian struggle for freedom and self-determination.
Overview
2018 is the year where Palestinians all over the world remember the 70th anniversary of the Nakba - 70 Years in which they had their civil and national rights trampled on, sacrificed lives and livelihoods, had their land stolen, their property destroyed, promises broken, were injured, insulted and humiliated, endured oppression, dispersion, imprisonment and torture, and witnessed numerous attempts to partition their homeland and divide their people.
However, despite all past and ongoing land confiscation, settlement construction, forcible displacements and rights denials, the Zionist movement has failed to empty the country of its indigenous Palestinian inhabitants, whose number has meanwhile increased to an extent that it is about to exceed that of the Jews. Despite all repressions at the hands of the occupier, despite all attempts at erasing or distorting their history and memory, and despite all political setbacks and failed negotiations, Palestinians are still steadfast on their land and resisting occupation.
The 1948 Nakba remains the root cause of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and will continue to fuel the Palestinian struggle for freedom and self-determination. As clearly reflected in the ‘Great March of Return’ which began on 30 March 2018 along the Gaza border fence, the Palestinians will not relinquish their historical and legal right of return to their homeland nor their demand that Israel acknowledges its moral and political responsibility for this ongoing tragedy and the gross injustice inflicted on the Palestinian people.
This bulletin intends to present a Palestinian narrative of the history of the events preceding and surrounding the Nakba and the partition of Palestine. It shows how Palestine became a pawn in the hands of European countries, Jewish Zionists and Arab leaders, and explains why and how the Nakba
continues to this day.