Commemorating the 'Nakba' (Catastrophe), Palestinians reflect upon their historical dispossession in their homeland.
Marching for Rememberance and Resilience
Celebrating Israel's Independence Day, a group of demonstrators, armed with stories of resilience and loss, marched through the ghostly remains of what was once a thriving Palestinian village. Their rallying cry echoed through the ruins, a poignant reminder of the past, "Your independence is our Nakba."
The location this year's remembrance took place was the desolate ground that was once Al-Lajjun, a village home to thousands of Palestinians. The village's legacy now shares space with kibbutz Megiddo, an Israeli farming community.
The backdrop for this year's commemoration was the ongoing conflict in Gaza, a battlefield between Israel and Hamas militants that has displaced nearly all of Gaza's 2.4 million inhabitants at least once over the past 18 months.
Dressed in traditional keffiyeh headscarves, the protesters sang the Palestinian anthem and recounted tales of displacement. Among them was Ziyad Mahajneh, an 82-year-old man who had fled the village as a child during the 1948 conflict.
"We were attacked with cannons and machine guns," Mahajneh recalled, his voice trembling with emotion. He had been left behind during his family's flight, but a neighbor helped reunite him with them in the nearby town of Umm al-Fahm. "Today, we are forbidden to be here," he lamented. "Al-Lajjun land has now become kibbutzim."
Memories of forced displacement lingered among the gathered. The 1948 war resulted in the exodus of around 760,000 Palestinians from their homes. The descendants of some 160,000 who remained in what is now Israel make up about 20% of its population. Many of today's Arab Israelis remain deeply connected to their ancestral lands.
Each year, Arab Israelis have marked Israeli Independence Day with a symbolic "March of Return" to a depopulated Palestinian village. However, this year, organizers announced the cancellation of the central march, citing increased restrictions imposed by Israeli authorities, including limits on attendance and a ban on Palestinian flags.
"They want us to stop from doing even the simplest act: remembering the Nakba," said Faisal Mahajneh, another displaced resident of Al-Lajjun. "We are the people of this land, and we will not lose hope" of returning, added Ziyad.
The March of Return, though lacking mentions of Al-Lajjun in recent times, symbolizes the collective Palestinian claims to ancestral lands lost during Israel's formation. It is a testament to the resilience and unwavering spirit of the Palestinian people, seeking justice and claiming their right of return. In the face of oppressive restrictions, their determination to honor their past and forge a future remains undiminished.
- The location of this year's remembrance was the former Palestinian village of Al-Lajjun, now sharing space with the Israeli farming community of kibbutz Megiddo, a backdrop for the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
- Despite the cancellation of the central march due to increased restrictions, the March of Return persistently symbolizes the collective Palestinian claims to ancestral lands lost during Israel's formation.
- The protesters, dressed in traditional keffiyeh headscarves, marched through the ghostly remains of Al-Lajjun, revisiting memories of forced displacement during the 1948 war and reiterating their right of return.
- In nearly every Israeli Independence Day, Arab Israelis have commemorated the Nakba with a symbolic March of Return to depopulated Palestinian villages, one of which is Al-Lajjun, where many are deeply connected to their ancestral lands.
- Faisal Mahajneh, another displaced resident of Al-Lajjun, emphasized that Israeli authorities aim to suppress the march and the remembrance, stating, "They want us to stop from doing even the simplest act: remembering the Nakba." Yet the Palestinian people continue to seek justice andbuild hope for a return to their ancestral lands.
