"Al Nakba"--The Palestinian Catastrophe of 1948

Introduction

by shishi87

"Al Nakba" means "the catastophe" in Arabic. This word refers to the devastation of Palestinian society during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, when Zionists ethnically cleansed Palestinians form their homes.

Before Al Nakba, Palestinian society was diverse and thriving.

In 1948, Zionists forces expelled almost 750,000 Palestinians--2/3 of the population--from their homes. These Palestinians were forced to flee to neighboring countries (Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Egypt, etc), where they lived in refugee camps. In many cases, Zionists also conducted massacres of innocent civilians who refused to give up their land.

Almost 450 Palestinian towns and villages were ethnically cleansed by Zionist forces. Most of these towns were demolished and taken by the newly established Israeli government to make room for Jewish immigrants.

Al Nakba marked the beginning of the Palestinian refugee crisis. According to the UNRWA, the number of Palestinian refugees today has almost reaced 4.5 million. These refugees are scattered throughout the world, many of which are still living in poverty-stricken refugee camps.

Israel has since refused to allow Palestinian refugees to return to their homeland, and has refused to pay them compensation as required by UN Resolution 194.

Video created by: Shirien D.
Music: "Birds of Galilee" by Marcel Khalife
Special Thanks to PalestineRemembered.com