Nakba 75 - Personal Perspectives: “Remembering the Nakba renews my desire for resilience”
The 15th May 2023 will mark 75 years since Israel became an independent state, the realisation of a dream of many for a homeland where Jewish people could feel safe, but also an event Palestinians remember as the Nakba (Catastrophe).
We asked our Palestinian partners to reflect on what this 75th anniversary means to them. We are sharing their responses in this blog series: Nakba 75 - Personal Perspectives.
Today we hear from Rami, who lives in Gaza:
REMEMBERING THE NAKBA RENEWS MY DESIRE FOR RESILIENCE
WHAT DOES 15th MAY 2023 MEAN TO YOU?
15th May is a date for the world, but it is actually a memory for every Palestinian. This memory is of the unsuccessful attempt to expel the Palestinians from their land. In 2023, this day reminds me of the rights which could not be forgotten: the rights of being free, living with safety and - above all - the right of being a human! An identified human with a passport. This event really renews my desires for resilience.
HOW DOES WHAT HAPPENED IN 1948 IMPACT YOUR LIFE TODAY?
I always try to imagine my life without wars and borders. I recognize that this catastrophe is the main reason for my and our challenges. I face great difficulties in traveling abroad as a Palestinian. As well as the constrictions of the borders, I find it very difficult to obtain a visa to travel and visit other countries or to work and attend many conferences there. One of the great impacts of Nakba for me is being unidentified in many countries, even though we are in 2023. All of this stems from what happened and started in 1948 and what continues till now. The conflicts, wars, borders and all restrictions which resulted from Nakba, are some of the faces of its impact upon me and all Palestinians.
WHAT ARE YOUR HOPES AND FEARS FOR THE FUTURE?
I hope to live freely, safely and peacefully. I aim to be able to build a good and satisfied future for my small family. I seek to provide all of life’s needs for my newborn child, who has the rights to live as all the children in the world. At the same time, I cannot be unconcerned or reassured. I always have a fear of the situation getting worse – developing into more extreme discomfort, more borders and injustice, and above all, more deaths.
WHAT IMAGE REPRESENTS HOME TO YOU?
I chose this photo to explain my feelings and to describe my fear of the future. Honestly, I did not used to feel this way, but from the moment I knew my wife was pregnant, I confess I felt conflicted between happiness and anxiety because I do not want to let my child to face and suffer in his future what I have suffered in the past and present.
*All views expressed above those of the respondent, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Embrace the Middle East.
Between 1947-49 over 530 Palestinian towns and villages were destroyed and millions of families fled their homes. These families expected to return but very few ever did. There are currently over 5.9 million Palestinian refugees registered with UNWRA.
The desire of Jewish communities, who had been persecuted for centuries and experienced immeasurable suffering in the 20th Century, to secure for themselves and their children a safe and free future must be remembered. The achievement of this goal should be celebrated. Nevertheless, the Balfour Declaration stated that in achieving the aspirations of the Jewish community, “nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish Communities in Palestine”. This week we remember the failure to realise that part of the declaration.
These testimonies give us hope that a future built upon dignity, rights and justice is possible, although the journey will not be smooth.
Please pray for the resilience, creativity and capacity for hope for these inspiring individuals and all of our partners across the Holy Land. Their desires for their children’s safety and freedom echo in history. Our hope and prayers are for a future where all peoples of the Holy Land can live in safety and freedom.
The escalation of violence in Gaza and Southern Israel last week has left parents on both sides of the conflict fearing for the safety and future of their families. Another of our partners in Gaza shared his reflections and prayers for the safety of the children in Gaza. Please read his prayer and join with us as we intercede for a just and peaceful future for children on both sides of this protracted conflict.
