Palestinians Mark 74th 'Nakba Day' Amid Outrage Over Journalist's Killing

Facts

• Palestinians on Sun. held protests to commemorate the 74th anniversary of what they call 'Nakba Day' – meaning 'catastrophe' in Arabic – marking the day the state of Israel was founded in 1948.¹
• To mark the day, Palestinian authorities emphasized their commitment to the right of return for refugees and their descendants and the right to self-determination, saying that 'double standards' in the international community toward refugees from different countries must end.²
• Most Nakba Day rallies were scattered, with the day largely passing quietly. Three Arab students were arrested but only one of them remained in custody as of Sun. evening, after a clash broke out at Tel Aviv University between Arab students and Israeli counter-protestors. Both sides blamed the other for initiating the violence.³
• There were also clashes at the northern entrance to al-Bireh, a West Bank city 15km away from Jerusalem, where at least 16 Palestinians were injured by Israeli forces according to the Palestinian WAFA news agency.¹
• The annual demonstrations came amid high tensions over the killing of Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, and a series of confrontations last month during Ramadan.⁴
• Israel, meanwhile, had previously marked the day - which they deem 'Independence Day' - on May 5th, with celebrations across the country. In a speech, PM Naftali Bennett hailed Israel as 'a story of hope, a story of human spirit, a story of surviving against all odds.'⁵

Sources: ¹Al Jazeera, ²Jerusalem Post, ³Times of Israel (a), ⁴Arab News and ⁵Times of Israel (b).

Narratives

• Pro-Palestine narrative, as provided by Al Jazeera. Nakba Day not only marks a historical ethnic cleansing event in which roughly 750k Palestinians were forcibly removed from their homes, but an ongoing reality that Palestinians continue to face today. Israeli attempts to eradicate this history should be resisted.
• Pro-Israel narrative, as provided by JNS.org. The creation of a Jewish state and sanctuary after millions of Jews were exterminated should not be called a 'catastrophe.' This label minimizes Jewish suffering and promotes anti-Semitic violence. It should be abolished.