The Nakba, 1947-1949
In our second Sumud session, we will discuss the Nakba — that is, the catastrophe in which Zionist forces ethnically cleansed Palestinians from the part of Palestine that would become Israel. Over the course of a little over one year, Zionist militias and nascent Israeli military units massacred Palestinians en masse. They forcibly expelled 750,000 Palestinians from their homes and land with violence and the threat of violence. They seized 78 percent of historic Palestine. The result was the destruction of Palestinian society on this land and the creation of a refugee crisis in the surrounding countries where Palestinians fled, as well as in the small slice of Palestine (22 percent) that Israel had not taken over.
On the ashes of Palestine, a Jewish ethno-state emerged in which Jews became the dominant caste, with superior rights to immigrate, acquire land, and exercise self-determination. Touted in the propagandistic Western media as a “Jewish and democratic” state, the contradiction in terms describing Israel is almost never explored. Nor is the Nakba acknowledged. As much as the Nakba refers to this specific period in history, it is important to recognize that the Nakba has never really ended. Ethnic cleansing persists to this day, whether in the north of Gaza, in West Bank villages, or in the heart of Jerusalem. Even in Bedouin villages in Israel. The victims belong to the inferior caste.
Suggested Reading
The suggested reading in advance of this session is Chapter 2 of Prof. Khalidi’s book, The Hundred Years’ War on Palestine.
If you’re interested in further reading on the Nakba, Dr. Ilan Pappe’s foundational book, The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine, is highly recommended. Also, for a look into how ethnic cleansing/forced displacement has ramped up since the 2023 plausible genocide, see We Will Return: An analysis of the escalating forced displacement of Palestinian communities in the West Bank since the start of the genocide in Gaza, Stop the Wall, December 10, 2024. Finally, to better understand the role law played in creating a Jewish ethno-state on the ashes of Palestine after the Nakba, check out this Catalog of Discriminatory Laws in Israel by Adalah, a Palestinian non-profit legal center in Israel.
Quaker Testimony
Our Quaker Testimony for contemplation this week is Equality. Quakers have different approaches to understanding Equality. Some frame Equality in terms of respect for people of diverse races, faiths, and genders. Other Friends emphasize the spiritual basis for Equality stemming from the capacity of every person to access that of God within. But Quakers have a complicated history with Equality. While some fought for abolition, others enslaved black people. While some called for fairness in their dealings with Native peoples and opposed war to resolve disputes, Quakers were undeniably engaged in a settler-colonial project that assumed their cultural and religious superiority. In some cases they murdered and forcibly expelled native peoples in order to take their land. Quakers also ran schools that separated indigenous children from their families.
How can we decolonize? How can we live faithfully in accordance with a deep-seated belief in Equality, despite our failure as a faith community to do so in the past? How do we right our relations with ourselves and others — including indigenous survivors of settler-colonial domination? Is Equality even enough, or are reparations and measures to ensure Equity called for? How is our understanding of Equality informed by this week’s study on the ethnic cleansing of indigenous Palestinians in the Nakba? What is is our response today to their ongoing dispossession at the hands of Zionist settlers and soldiers with U.S. backing?
Teach-In Slides
Feel free to pull up the slides for our session on your personal device. They will also be displayed on screen.
Films
Optional films you are invited to view in advance of our session include:
