In a significant development, Israel and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement in Gaza have reached a delicate truce that commenced precisely on May 13, as confirmed by Palestinian officials. This accord marks a crucial turning point, signifying the conclusion of the most intense period of cross-border hostilities since the 10-day war witnessed in 2021. Serving as the mediator, Egypt has played a pivotal role in brokering this cease-fire while urging all involved parties to adhere to the terms of the agreement.
This occurred exactly two days ahead of the 75th anniversary of the Nakba catastrophe on May 15, the day when the birth of the State of Israel transpired, which was accompanied by a tumultuous, violent and coerced displacement of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from their ancestral lands. With a sense of urgency, the Israeli government swiftly embraced the recent cease-fire, partly due to apprehensions surrounding the potential for extensive anniversary protests by the Palestinians and the PIJ’s retaliatory firing of rockets.
Each year, on May 15, Palestinians worldwide commemorate the Nakba, commonly known as the "catastrophe." This solemn observance serves as a poignant reminder of the events that unfolded in 1948, encompassing the ethnic cleansing of Palestine and the profound devastation inflicted upon Palestinian society. This year's Nakba held special significance for two compelling reasons. Firstly, it marked the 75th anniversary of this solemn remembrance, underscoring the enduring impact of the events that transpired. Secondly, just six months ago, in December 2022, the U.N. General Assembly adopted a resolution to recognize and commemorate Nakba Day for the first time.
The resolution garnered overwhelming support from 90 nations, while 30 nations, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Canada, expressed their opposition. Forty-seven countries chose to abstain from voting. Notably, the resolution was co-sponsored by prominent nations like Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), among others. Its adoption arrived at a pivotal moment, coinciding with a year marked by a surge in Palestinian-Israeli violence in the West Bank, amplifying the resolution's significance within the broader regional context. The utter failure of the international community to effectively address and resolve the Israel-Palestine conflict remains a perplexing and disheartening reality that spans over seven decades.
As Palestinians commemorate the solemn 75th anniversary of the Nakba, a tragic milestone in their history, why has the international community blatantly failed to find a resolution? The international community's persistent failure to address and find a solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict remains an enduring quandary. This underscores the prevailing pessimism surrounding the situation, highlighting the growing disenchantment with the international community's efforts and the deep-seated Palestinian despair regarding the prospects of a viable two-state solution.
The intensity of Palestinians' reflection on those 75 years, where the Nakba remains an ongoing ordeal, amplifies the gravity of their continuous suffering – a distressing cycle of persecution and suppression perpetrated by Israel. In the face of such persistent suffering, the question of why peace has remained elusive becomes all the more pressing. Yet, unfortunately, the international community's attention to this conflict has hardly been labeled “insignificant.”
As the Palestinians mark the 75th anniversary of the Nakba, it prompts contemplation on how the events of 1948 have not only shaped the historical trajectory of the Palestinian people but have also cast a long shadow over their current reality of colonization. The Nakba holds a profound significance for Palestinians. It has assumed the form of a supernatural force, ceaselessly haunting their present existence. This haunting is a poignant reminder of the enduring presence of oppressive power structures in everyday life. The Nakba, encompassing the displacement of 750,000 Palestinians from their ancestral homes in Palestine and the decimation of 500 villages and towns, transcends its status as a mere historical event. Its repercussions continue reverberating, casting a persistent shadow over Palestinian lives even after 75 years.
The Nakba is not solely a past event but an ongoing process intertwined with enduring manifestations of state-sponsored violence. It remains an integral part of their lived reality as Zionist forces persist in its perpetuation. It is a stark reality that Zionist forces persistently engage in. In each instance in which a Palestinian is tortured and killed, or a home is shattered with the bombing, the shock waves of violence not only jolt the present but also evoke the haunting reminder of the Nakba. Through their daily oppressive actions, the Israeli oppressors actively contribute to solidifying the lasting impact of this catastrophe, fortifying its permanence and its influence on the lives of Palestinians.
Ironically, however inappropriate it may appear, the Israeli state's approach to engendering fresh recollections of violence within the Palestinian population, thereby ensuring the perpetual resonance of the Nakba, seems to clash with its official policy of disavowing its very existence from the memory of the Palestinians. Israeli officials and staunch supporters of Israel have consistently rebuffed the terminology, dismissing it as an "Arab fabrication" and a "pretext for acts of terrorism."
Furthermore, all the successive Israeli governments have vigorously tried to erase any semblance of the Nakba from the public sphere – including the removal of the chapter on the Nakba from the textbooks for Palestinian children in 2009. Similarly, in 2011, the Knesset passed a law forbidding all institutions from organizing memorial gatherings about the Nakba. This legislation, an amendment to the Budget Foundation Law, ostensibly equates any event that observes the Nakba, whether held in a public high school in Nazareth or elsewhere, with allegations of fostering racism, inciting violence and promoting terrorism. The Israeli state views the Palestinian endeavor to actively commemorate and uphold the Nakba within collective remembrance as an exceedingly provocative undertaking. As a result, Israel is relentless in its oppressive policy to penalize anyone involved in organizing such public ceremonies.
Nevertheless, Israel's true intent lies not in deleting the events of 1948 from the Palestinians' collective memory but in exerting influence over and molding Palestinian memory according to its design. The deliberate suppression of the Nakba as a significant historical event meriting commemoration is intricately woven into Israel's overarching strategy to distort the narrative surrounding its suppressive dispossession – past and present.
