The Ongoing Nakba
By Jonathan Kuttab
On May 15, Palestinians commemorate the Catastrophe (or Nakba) that befell them in 1948 as a result of the onslaught of Zionism over their land. In a very real sense, however, the Nakba is not merely a historical event that took place in 1948, but it is an ongoing process that continues to traumatize and oppress Palestinians to this day.
The very idea of creating a “Jewish state” required the ethnic cleansing of the land’s non-Jewish population in order to achieve Jewish domination. Incoming immigration was to be matched by expulsion in sufficient numbers to achieve a Jewish majority. Language within Israel’s Declaration of Independence about “equality between Arabs and Jews” was totally belied by Israel’s actual practices and has been effectively negated by its recent “Nation-State Law,” declaring that Israel is the state of the Jews and only Jews are entitled to self-determination. Such a state not only privileges Jews but views the presence of indigenous non-Jews as an existential threat. As such, it cannot help but establish an apartheid regime privileging Jews over Arabs, even those holding state citizenship.
The ethnic cleansing of Palestine has never been limited to the events of 1948, when most Palestinians were forcibly expelled or fled from their homes and properties, but the Nakba continues to this day. While the Israelis enacted a “Right of Return” allowing Jewish persons of any country and nationality to immigrate to Israel and become citizens, it strictly denies the same privileges to Palestinians, even those born in the Land and whose lineage here goes back many generations. They are denied the right to return and live in their own land. The denial of the “Palestinian Right of Return” is justified by the need to maintain Jewish dominance and a demographic majority. Palestinians living under Israeli control feel daily the danger and vulnerability of being expelled yet again, never to return. Those who have Israeli-issued ID cards cling tenaciously to their residency rights. Meanwhile, those who marry other Palestinians or foreigners are denied the right of family reunification, as couples and families are callously prevented from living together, for fear that this would further tilt the “demographic balance” that is daily reducing the Jewish majority in Israel.
Public and communal land, as well as land taken over from expelled refugees, was transferred for exclusive use by Jews, as the Jewish National Fund merged into the Israel Land Authority and the Office of the Custodian of Absentee Property to develop Arab and public land for the benefit of Israel’s Jewish citizens. Now, confiscations continue daily in the Occupied Palestinian Territories under a variety of excuses because Israel, as a “Jewish state,” wants to expropriate as much land as possible and dedicate it for sole Jewish use.
Land that continues to be in Arab hands, both within the state of Israel and in the occupied West Bank, is further restricted through bureaucratic planning schemes that serve Jewish settlers and prevent natural Arab development. While hundreds of towns, settlements, kibbutzim and Jewish neighborhoods are developed with public funds, Arabs are denied licenses or permissions to build even on their own privately owned land, let alone public support or planning for Arab neighborhoods. Such land remains under strict development restrictions, until it is eventually confiscated, and then it may be developed for Jewish use. Recently, in the case of Masafer Yatta, the Israeli High Court just permitted the wholesale destruction of multiple Arab villages to make way for Jewish settlement, under the guise of “military training.” Many of the Arabs who have managed to remain in the area live in “unrecognized villages,” which have been denied access to utilities and local self-government, much less development. Others have been fragmented into different pockets of land and are being continuously restricted by the denial of permits and licenses, forced evacuations, and home demolitions. Their Nakba continues.
For the Nakba to come to an end, we must first recognize it for what it is and recognize its continued impact on the lives of the Palestinian people. The reality is that Zionism has always necessarily meant the creation of a state that discriminates against, represses, and oppresses Palestinians. For those who were not successfully ethnically cleansed and banished from their land in 1948, the experience is one of discrimination and apartheid. That reality is now slowly being recognized in reports from Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, B’Tselem, the UN Special Rapporteur, Harvard Law School, and others. This is why Zionists tenaciously resist this new awareness and viciously attack those who oppose them with false accusations of anti-Semitism, as they are now doing again with our friend Rev. Stephen Sizer in the UK.
It is also the reason why Israel assassinated Shireen Abu Akleh, the courageous Al Jazeera reporter who risked—and eventually lost—her life documenting the brutal realities of Israeli apartheid and military occupation, revealing and broadcasting it to the world. (Read FOSNA’s statement in response to the murder of Shireen Abu Akleh here.) Israeli snipers targeted her and three of her colleagues in a blatant attack that killed her and injured one of her colleagues.
Take Action!
Endorse
Justice for Shireen (Code Pink). On Wednesday, May 11, 2022, Israeli soldiers shot and killed 51-year-old Palestinian-American Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh. U.S. Ambassador to Israel Tom Nides and State Department spokesperson Ned Price called for a thorough and immediate investigation and for those responsible to be held accountable. But, the U.S., including the Biden administration, doesn't have a record of holding Israel accountable. U.S. military aid to Israel should be immediately suspended and Israel must not be allowed to investigate itself. Add your name.
Write to Congress
Tell Congress: Support an end to Israel’s demolition of Palestinian homes and schools (American Friends Service Committee). On May 5, 2022 the Israeli High Court approved the forced eviction of eight Palestinian communities in the Masafer Yatta area in the south of the West Bank. In accordance with this ruling the villages of Jinba, al Fakhit, Halaweh, Mirkez, Tabban, Maghayir al Abeed, and Isfey will be demolished and more than 1,000 residents will be forcibly displaced. Take action: Tell Congress to speak out against these imminent demolitions and displacements.
Rally
Resisting Until Liberation: Take Action This Nakba Day (US Campaign for Palestinian Rights) On the 74th anniversary of the Nakba, we must continue to resist in solidarity with the Palestinian people, from Gaza to Jerusalem to Masafer Yatta. Looking for more ways to get involved this Nakba Day? See below for ideas of actions to take, resources to help you carry your energy and momentum forward, and even posters for you to download and print to take with you to the streets.
Get Involved!
FOSNA Is Hiring!
We are seeking a talented, dynamic, and passionate Communications and Campus Outreach Coordinator to join our team of remote staff located across the United States.
FOSNA invites you to join us in the following events and activities:
May 20-21
A New Path to Peace: Examining a One-State Solution for Israel-Palestine. Join our friends Richmonders for Peace in Israel-Palestine (RPIP) for what promises to be an illuminating and engaging virtual conference. Sessions and speakers include:
The Case for One State: Why a Two-State Solution is No Longer a Viable Option, featuring Iymen Chehade, Gideon Levy, and Alice Rothchild
What Would the One State Look Like? How Would It Function? featuring Ramzy Baroud, Jeff Halper, Jonathan Kuttab, and Conor McCarthy
The Road to One State: How Do We Get from Here to There? featuring Dana El Kurd, Ilan Pappe, Miko Peled, and Mohamed Rabie
May 28
FIFA: Suspend Apartheid Israel. (FOSNA & Just Peace Advocates) Join Susan Shalabi of the Palestinian Football Association, Roger Waters, Jonathan Kuttab, and more, for what promises to be an illuminating webinar on a topic of global concern. Israel has violated the principles of FIFA in a variety of ways that would normally warrant disciplinary actions and even a suspension of its membership. However, the politics of FIFA have prevented it from taking action, even amending its by-laws to make it more difficult for the Palestine Football Association to demand such action. Consequently, it is now the responsibility of civil society to apply the popular pressure necessary to bring this about.
Save the Date!
Weekly
Kumi Now! Week 20: The Ongoing Nakba. For Palestinians, May 15 is Nakba Day. That is the day following the Israeli Independence Day on the Gregorian calendar. The term Nakba refers to the 1948 catastrophe when over 1,000,000 Palestinians were forced from their homes or fled in fear for their lives. But this use of the term in the past tense suggests that the Nakba was over and done 70 years ago. This is not the case, as the events of 1948 were just part of a consistent and ongoing process that dates back to the Balfour Declaration and continues today. Here’s what you need to know about the ongoing Nakba and what you can do so that together we can rise up.
Sabeel Prayer Service. Join Sabeel every Thursday (6pm Jerusalem) for online Bible Study, discussion, and prayer. Examine scripture in light of the ongoing realities confronting the Palestinian Church and the pursuit of Palestinian liberation.
Wave of Prayer. Subscribe to receive Sabeel's Wave of Prayer, enabling friends of Sabeel around the world to pray over issues of critical concern to the Holy Land on a weekly basis.
