For us Palestinians, 15 May marks the 75th anniversary of the Nakba (the “catastrophe” of 1948), during which about 70% of the Palestinian population was forcibly displaced and more than 500 communities were wiped out completely, in addition to the massacres committed by Zionist militias. The Nakba of 1948 marked the destruction of the indigenous […]
Read MoreAbbas urges UN to suspend Israel during first commemoration of 1948 flight of the Palestinians
UNITED NATIONS — Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas urged the United Nations on Monday to suspend Israel’s membership unless it implements resolutions establishing separate Jewish and Arab states and allows the return of Palestinian refugees. Abbas spoke during the first official U.N. commemoration of the flight of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from what is now […]
Read MoreHow did the state of Israel come into being?
On May 15th 1948 the State of Israel was declared – a day of celebration for Jewish people who’d emigrated to what was now Israel – and a labelled as ‘nabka’ or ‘catastrophe’ in Arabic for Palestinians. But what were the circumstances that led to that day? Suzanne’s guest was Jeremy Pressman, a Professor of […]
Read MoreRemembering the Nakba via Folke Bernadotte’s ‘To Jerusalem’
To Jerusalem, by Folke Bernadotte, translated by Joan Bulman, London. Hodder and Stoughton, 1951 As we prepare to join the global Palestinian diaspora in remembering the ethnic cleansing of 1948 (and 1867) a personal story illuminates Zionism in action. Zionist forces launched the Nakba (Catastrophe) on Palestinians in mid-May 1948, and reports alarmed the world. […]
Read MoreIsrael at 75 is a Modern Wonder with a Palestinian Pain at its Heart
If you will it, it is no dream. Those are the words of Theodor Herzl, the founder of modern Zionism, who did more than anyone to promote a vision of Jewish return to the land of the Bible. I thought of Herzl the other day, during my first journey on the sleek new Tel Aviv-Jerusalem […]
Read MoreSaluting a remarkable 75 years
As another dysfunctional Arab state, Sudan, collapses into chaos, it is not only the Jewish people who should be acknowledging the 75th anniversary of the foundation of the state of Israel – the Middle East’s only functioning democracy and upholder of the rule of law. As Israel’s founding father David Ben-Gurion once warned: “In Israel, […]
Read MoreNetflix to air Jordanian film in which Israeli soldiers murder Palestinian family
Netflix to Air Jordanian Film in Which Israeli Soldiers Murder Palestinian Family The narrative film ‘Farha,’ Jordan’s Oscar submission, depicts soldiers in 1948 killing an entire family, and advertising for it says it is based on true events Ido David Cohen (Haaretz, 29/11/2022), Nov 29, 2022 7:03 pm IST ( https://www.haaretz.com/life/film/2022-11-29/ty-article/.premium/netflix-to-air-jordanian-film-in-which-israeli-soldiers-murder-palestinian-family/00000184-c438-d136-affd-c77db0060000 ) A Jordanian film […]
Read MoreNakba Exhibition 2023 – Calling all artists!
Free Palestine Melbourne is planning an exhibition/cultural event to mark the 75th anniversary of the Nakba in May 2023. We are proposing a theme along the lines of “Palestine is …” (tentative working title only and open to suggestions) as we would like to make a positive statement that Palestine not only exists but is […]
Read MoreTantura: New documentary sparks debate about Israel and the Palestinian Nakba
A new documentary, released earlier this year, is shining light on a violent and controversial episode in Israeli and Palestinian history.
Read MoreNakba Day 2022 vigil
12pm, Sunday 15th May 2022, at the State Library, Melbourne “The Nakba, or catastrophe in Arabic, is the common designation given to the hostilities and tribulations that began after the approval of the UN Partition Plan for Palestine in 1947. They led to the uprooting of some 750,000 Palestinians from their homes and communities – […]
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