Today marks the 69th anniversary of the Palestinian Nakba, which means “catastrophe.”
The founding of Israel as a “Jewish State” was preceded by a massive ethnic cleansing operation to remove as many of the Muslim and Christian inhabitants as possible.
During Israel’s “war of independence,” over 750,000 Palestinians were driven from their homes, never to be allowed to return. Hundreds of towns were razed; villagers were massacred. Their very existence on the land was nearly wiped from history as Israel built new towns over the ruins and gave them Hebrew names.
This devastating humanitarian disaster is given almost no attention by in American history books or by the mainstream news media even though it is crucial in understanding the ongoing violence in Israel-Palestine and the Middle East in general.
Palestinian refugees and their descendants living in the West Bank and Gaza continue to live under an Israeli military occupation funded by American taxpayers to the tune of $10 million a day.
Hundreds of Palestinians political prisoners in Israeli jails continue their mass hunger strike for humane living conditions that began on April 17. Israeli forces continue to kill Palestinians with impunity, killing four Palestinians this month alone, including a teenage girl and a young fisherman today in Gaza.
It is imperative that we educate our communities and demand an end to the use of our tax dollars for killing and destruction.
Here are some ways you can do so:
- Share our short summary “How Palestine Became Israel” article with people who are new to the issue.
- Order a Nakba Pack or Nakba Pack Lite, which contain various printed educational cards and brochures that you can distribute at events, churches, libraries, etc.
- Watch and share Occupation 101, an award-winning documentary film on the root causes of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
- Post about the Nakba on Facebook and Twitter.
- Check to see what your local newspaper wrote about this tragedy, and write a letter to the editor with the facts they omitted.
- Call your Congressperson and ask them to oppose aid to Israel until it complies with international law concerning Palestinian human rights.
- Learn about the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement and get involved with a local chapter.
Our operations are funded solely by generous individuals like you. Your contribution will help us continue shining a light on the Israel/Palestine situation and the U.S. connection.
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