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What does Israel’s failure to recognise the Nakba mean?

May 19, 2015 at 11:36 am

Will Israel be able to reach a true political agreement with the Palestinians without recognising them as a nation? Can the Palestinian people be recognised without Israel acknowledging the Nakba?

Nakba denial is deliberate. Even today, the Israeli discourse in politics, culture and the media avoids using the phrase “Palestinian people or nation”; there are only “Palestinians” or “Arabs”. If we continue to overlook the sort of logic which disregards the existence of a nation that has its own history, presence and rights, then we will allow the tragedy suffered by the Palestinian people to continue; they have been deprived of their land, homes, resources and independence and, it seems, even their group identity.

The denial of the Nakba is also manifested in Israel’s justifications for the atrocities committed by its armed forces and settlers; it claims to be the victim and blames the Palestinians, and it has fabricated tales to support this view. Those listening to the Israeli narrative would get the impression that the Palestinian people were displaced as the result of a natural disaster, or that the refugees handed over the keys to their homes voluntarily to those Jews who came from Europe.

Denying the Nakba is immoral and an implicit justification for the atrocities committed in Israel’s name. However, the rationalisation of the Nakba by making excuses for it means that there is no guarantee that the massacres and violence of the past will not be repeated in the future. Indeed, the violence against the Palestinians is already being repeated in new forms, such as the large prison camp known as the Gaza Strip, which is filled with refugees and destruction.

We cannot exclude the Nakba from the historical examination of the past crimes committed against nations. The Palestinian tragedy does not require great efforts to discover its nature, as it occurred after World War II and in the presence of the international community. It was committed in a systematic manner against a nation located in the middle of the world, where three continents meet. The massacres and ethnic cleansing committed by Jewish militias and the nascent Israeli armed forces are clear for all to see.

Those who do not believe the victims or those who do not want to hear the testimonies of those who survived the Nakba should refer to Israel’s official documents and ask Israel’s “new” historians about what happened. Major events of the past cannot easily be swept under the carpet.

Israel’s acknowledgement of the Nakba is not a symbolic matter or a mere formality, because admitting to a sin is a condition for repentance, which, in turn, means a commitment to stop targeting the Palestinians and restore their inalienable rights. The events of the Nakba have been ongoing since 1948 and the Palestinians are paying a heavy price. Millions of Palestinian refugees are still living in miserable camps near and within their homeland but are unable to return to their homes. In addition, with every internal crisis in the host countries, it becomes more apparent that they are the section of the population that is most fragile and at risk, driving them into further exile elsewhere, but not back to their own country. The Israeli occupation makes sure of that.

The fact of the matter is that the Palestinian people are still committed to their rights, and the new generations of Palestinians continue to commemorate the memory of the Nakba all over the world. They have also kept the keys to their homes which have become a global symbol of their legitimate right of return.

We cannot ignore the fact that the Israelis neither recognise the Palestinian people nor the Nakba. Justice will not be served only by restoring the Palestinians’ inalienable rights, including their right to determine their fate and establish a sovereign independent state. The core of the Palestinian issue also requires the recognition of the tragedy that they have suffered, including all of the rights and entitlements such recognition brings with it.

The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Monitor.