What is the Nakbah

The Nakbah, which means "catastrophe" in Arabic, refers to the mass displacement and dispossession of hundreds of thousands of Palestinian Arabs during the 1948 Palestine war. The Nakbah occurred as a result of the establishment of the State of Israel and the subsequent Arab-Israeli conflict.

During this period, around 700,000 Palestinians were forced to flee or were expelled from their homes and villages. Many were displaced internally within Palestine, while others fled to neighboring countries such as Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and Egypt. The Nakbah led to the creation of a significant Palestinian refugee population, which still exists today, with their descendants numbering in the millions.

The Nakbah represents a significant event in the collective memory and history of the Palestinian people and is viewed as a profound tragedy, marking the loss of their homeland and the disruption of their lives, society, and culture. The Nakbah continues to be a central issue in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and remains a point of contention in negotiations for a just and lasting resolution.