Nakba 75 - Personal Perspectives: “Nakba means loss”
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 one of our partners in Jerusalem:
NAKBA MEANS LOSS
WHAT DOES 15th MAY 2023 MEAN TO YOU?
It means LOSS. Thousands of Palestinian families left everything and ran away to other cities. Some took refuge in convents and monasteries. No one had imagined that they would never return to their homes again.
In 2011 I took a group of elderly people from Ramallah to Lod to visit the church of St George. One of the passengers, who was eighty plus years old, was missing when we got back to the bus. Then a few minutes later we saw him walking towards the bus with a perturbed look on his face. “Where were you?” I asked, worried and a bit nervous. He said that he went to have a look at his house. He and his family had to leave in 1948 when the Israelis invaded the city. “Did you find the house?” I asked him. No, he said. He’d found that the house was destroyed and had been replaced by a building.
It is LOSS not only of property, but other basic human rights, like freedom of movement, opinion and expression.
HOW DOES WHAT HAPPENED IN 1948 IMPACT YOUR LIFE TODAY?
Well, my extended family lost everything and had to start from scratch. Then there was the Six-Day War in 1967 and they again lost everything and had to start from scratch. Then, there was the first Intifada in 1987. Again, my parents and relatives lost everything and had to start all over again. Finally, my uncles and aunts decided to emigrate to the USA for a safer and better future for my cousins. Currently, we are the only ones left in Jerusalem (6 people). Until 1989 we were more than 60. I remember during holidays, especially Christmas, we visited each other and exchanged gifts; we couldn’t get round the whole family in one day. Now Christmas is very lonely. We have dinner as a family - my wife, two children, mum and brother. There is no one to visit and exchange presents with.
WHAT ARE YOUR HOPES AND FEARS FOR THE FUTURE?
I hope that Christians will stay in the Holy Land and not emigrate; it is essential to keep the Christian presence, especially in Jerusalem. I fear that our churches and holy places will one day become like museums for tourists and pilgrims to visit, without the presence of the Living Stones. We Christians are less than 2% of the population and the numbers are dwindling. Those who can afford to emigrate are doing so and the others, who are not well educated or do not have the financial means, are staying. So, the number of Christians is decreasing but the needs are increasing. That is the main reason that we need the support of our brothers and sisters from abroad. Embrace the Middle East is one of them who gives us hope that there are people out there who care for the plight of the Christians in the Holy Land.
WHAT IMAGE REPRESENTS HOME TO YOU?
This is Jaffa Gate, one of the main gates into the old city of Jerusalem. Whenever I enter the old city, I feel at home. This is where I was born and raised; this is where my uncles who emigrated owned souvenir shops; and this is where I used to play with my cousins and brother. Today, when we travel out of the city during weekends or after family trips, coming back, upon entering the city I say, “home sweet home.” With all its complications, intolerance, and disrespect to the other it still feels like home. Wherever I go, whatever I do, Jerusalem (particularly, the old city) will remain home to me.
*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.