Nakba Day is commemorated as a somber occasion, representing the “day of misfortune” for many. The term “nakba,” meaning catastrophe or disaster, is used to encapsulate the Palestinian perspective on the establishment of the State of Israel and its aftermath. Specifically, it refers to the events surrounding May 15, 1948, which marked the day after Israel declared its independence on May 14, 1948. Nakba serves as a symbolic remembrance of this significant historical event from the Palestinian perspective.
Nakba Day, observed annually on May 15th, is a significant occasion for Palestinians to commemorate those who have lost their lives or been killed since 1948. It serves as a time of mourning for the lands, properties, and rights that were displaced or lost due to exile or migration. Nakba holds official holiday status within the Palestinian administration.
Coinciding with the Gregorian calendar date of 15 May, although it may not align exactly with the Jewish religious calendar, which has periodic intersections with the Gregorian calendar every 19 years, Nakba Day is marked by parallel events in Israel. These include commemorations, protests, and demonstrations by Palestinians and Arabs, reflecting the solemn atmosphere surrounding the historical events and their aftermath.
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When Does it Recognized?
Nakba Day has become an annual period characterized by intense clashes between the Israel Defense Forces and Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza, marked by heightened tensions and confrontations.
In May 2009, the far-right Israel Our Home Party (Yisrael Beitenu Party), led by Avigdor Liberman, announced the initiation of legislation aimed at enabling the arrest of individuals participating in Nakba Day demonstrations and prohibiting Nakba commemorations. However, the proposed law faced significant opposition and scrutiny.
On 3 December 2022, Nakba Day was officially recognized by the United Nations through a resolution that received 90 votes of support, further highlighting the significance of this commemorative day on an international scale.
How the World Grew to Understand?
Acknowledging the profound tragedy of the Palestinian displacement in 1948, the term “Nakba”, derived from Arabic, has evolved into a political concept that utilizes collective memory as a form of resistance. Recognizing the significance of this historical event, on 22 November 2022, the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution requesting the Division of the Secretariat for Palestinian Human Rights to allocate resources and efforts towards commemorating the 75th anniversary of the Nakba in the activities planned for 2023. This demonstrates the international recognition and commitment to honoring the memory and impact of the Nakba.
In 1948, the Palestinian population endured the Nakba, an Arabic term meaning “catastrophe,” as their society was upended with the establishment of Israel. The UN’s recent acknowledgment recognizes its involvement in the forced displacement of over 700,000 Palestinians from their ancestral lands through Resolution 181, also known as the “Partition Plan.” This plan proposed the division of Palestine into two separate states, one Arab and one Jewish.
During that period, the international community predominantly celebrated the creation of the Jewish state as a response to the Holocaust and the persecution faced by Jews under Nazism. Regrettably, the expulsion of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from their homes received limited attention outside of the Arab world. It would take decades for the term “Nakba” to gain prominence as a political concept, highlighting the catastrophic experience endured by the Palestinian people.
While the term “Nakba” was initially introduced by Syrian intellectual Constantin Zureik in a book published in 1948, its widespread usage remained limited until the late 1980s. Although it is now commonly invoked, it was absent from the Palestinian political discourse for nearly four decades. However, this does not imply that the catastrophic events of the Nakba were forgotten or unknown. On the contrary, the collective memory of the Nakba continued to be referenced and acknowledged throughout this period.
Importance Of Words
Language holds significant influence in shaping public discourse, especially in political matters such as the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. The selection and omission of words are deliberate and purposeful actions, forming part of a dialectical strategy aimed at asserting a particular narrative, whether within local contexts or through mass media.
The utilization, repetition, and global dissemination of a concept can carry either positive or negative connotations. One notable example is the term “Apartheid”, originally used in Afrikaans, which has become universally recognized as a system of exclusion and segregation, extending beyond its association with the Black population in South Africa. This highlights the power of language in shaping collective understanding and perceptions on a global scale.
Uprising Of The Palestinians In 1987
The uprising of the Palestinians in 1987, known as the Intifada, marked a significant turning point in the history of the conflict by introducing an Arabic word into international media and even the discourse within Israel, free from pejorative connotations. The term “Intifada,” which translates to “shake” or to shake off something bothersome from one’s shoulders, came to symbolize the Palestinians’ nonviolent struggle against the powerful Israeli army and, to some extent, gained recognition and legitimacy.
Other Arabic Words That Gained International Recognition
Other Arabic words that gained international recognition include “fedayeen,” meaning fighters, although initially it was primarily associated with those who supported the Palestinian resistance. Similarly, “Naksa,” meaning setback or defeat, became widely used to refer to the events of the June 1967 war when the Israeli army occupied the West Bank, East Jerusalem, Gaza Strip, the Egyptian Sinai Peninsula, and the Syrian Golan Heights. However, outside of the Arab world, this expression may not carry the same significance or weight.
Prior to 1987, many western media outlets predominantly adopted the Israeli perspective, shaping the narrative surrounding historical events. One example is the 1973 Arab-Israeli war, commonly referred to in the West as the “Yom Kippur War,” while Arabs generally recognize it as the “October War” or the “Ramadan War.” For decades, the Nakba experienced by Palestinians in 1948 remained absent from narratives that embraced Israel’s version of history, which celebrated its statehood and “independence” while disregarding the systematic destruction of the existing Palestinian society.