UN Will Commemorate 75th Anniversary of The Nakba...

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For the first time ever, the U.N. will commemorate the Nakba, or “catastrophe” in Arabic, in which at least 700,000

Palestinians fled or were forcibly expelled from their homes during the creation of Israel in 1948.

On May 15, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas will deliver a keynote speech at the U.N. General Assembly in New York, as part of a high-level special meeting to mark Nakba Day. In a statement outlining the event, the U.N. said the occasion aims to “highlight that the noble goals of justice and peace require recognizing the reality and history of the Palestinian people’s plight and ensuring the fulfillment of their inalienable rights.”

As the 75th anniversary of the Nakba approached, the 193-member General Assembly voted in November on whether to host a commemoration event; the plan was approved by a vote of 90-30 with 47 abstentions. The U.S., a longtime military and financial supporter of Israel, voted against the event and confirmed that no American diplomats would be present.

For many others, the U.N.’s decision is an acknowledgement of the central role played by the intergovernmental organization in the partition of the Mandate for Palestine.

Full article:  Why the U.N. Is Commemorating the Palestinian Nakba | Time

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On Wednesday, Representative Rashida Tlaib, the first member of Congress of Palestinian descent, sponsored

an event raising awareness about the Nakba. Known as “the catastrophe,” the Nakba refers to the ongoing series of events beginning in 1948 that led to the persecution and displacement of Palestinians, and the occupation of Palestine that continues today.

The event, originally planned to take place at the Capitol Visitor Center, sought to “uplift the experiences of Palestinians who underwent the Nakba, and educate members of Congress and their staff about this history and the ongoing Nakba to which Israel continues to subject Palestinians,” according to an event page.

Apparently such a notion—reflection, education, conversation—was too much for some.

Full article:  The Outrage Over Rashida Tlaib’s Palestinian Nakba Event Reveals Ev...

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Kofi Bilal Mahmud Eid AlFitr 1443 A.H.

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MPAC Stands with Palestinians, Rep. Tlaib Amidst Pushback on 75th Nakba Commemoration Washington, D.C. | www.mpac.org | May 15, 2023 — Last week, Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib hosted a commemoration of the 75th Nakba, the mass displacement of Palestinians known as “the Nakba” or “the catastrophe.” The event, scheduled to take place on Capitol Hill, was canceled by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who labeled the event anti-semitic and stated that he would instead use the space to hold "a bipartisan discussion to honor the 75th anniversary of the U.S.-Israel relationship."  MPAC wants to express its sincere gratitude to Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT), who stood in support of Congresswoman Tlaib and at the final hour secured an alternative venue on the Senate side of the Capitol complex for the 75th Nakba commemoration. Senator Sanders was instrumental in halting efforts to silence discussions on the Nakba and the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people.  Despite House Speaker McCarthy’s efforts to cancel the event, hundreds of Palestinian supporters filled the halls of the Senate building including elderly citizens and Nakba survivors who shared their stories of suffering and displacement during the establishment of Israel.  This brazen attempt to silence American-Palestinian voices and bury their history is reflective of the Israeli government’s continued inhumane and unjust treatment of the Palestinian people and the United States government’s continued silence on the issue.  “As Rep. Tlaib so eloquently stated at the event, the Nakba never ended. The fact that attendees of a human rights discussion on a historic displacement were themselves displaced in an effort to silence them is indicative of all that is wrong when it comes to discussions on Palestinians and Israel. We unequivocally stand with Rep. Tlaib and the Palestinian people.”  - MPAC President, Salam Al-Marayati U.S. foreign policy and domestic policy are powerfully intertwined. The dismissal of American Arab and American Muslim voices are indicative of U.S. foreign policy towards the Arab and Muslim world. The United States must strive to do better on both fronts to ensure inclusivity. MPAC is concerned that any criticism of Israel as a human rights offender is often conflated with anti-semitism and is used to infringe upon the right to freedom of expression for Arab Americans and American Muslims. This goes against the very essence of the Constitution and is detrimental to the United States’ reputation as an arbiter of human rights. Actions such as these stifle any chances of coming to a fair and reasonable resolution to a decades-old issue.