Jerusalem24 – Palestinian-American Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib introduced a resolution recognizing the Palestinian Nakba to the US House of Representatives on Monday.
The announcement came a day after the Palestinians marked the Nakba’s 74th anniversary.
The Nakba (the Catastrophe) is a term used to describe the forced displacement of over 800,000 Palestinians and the destruction of Palestinian society in 1948 during the establishment of the state of Israel.
The Nakba is well-documented and continues to play out today. We must acknowledge that the humanity of Palestinians is being denied when folks refuse to acknowledge the war crimes and human rights violations in apartheid Israel. #Nakba74! https://t.co/dLjOALlNKy
— Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (@RepRashida) May 16, 2022
“The Nakba is well-documented and continues to play out today,” Tlaib, who is of Palestinian descent, wrote on Twitter. “We must acknowledge that the humanity of Palestinians is being denied when folks refuse to acknowledge the war crimes and human rights violations in apartheid Israel.”
The Democratic congresswoman said the resolution is cosponsored by her fellow progressives Betty McCollum, Marie Newman, Ilhan Omar and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
Although it is unlikely to pass in an overwhelmingly pro-Israel House, Palestinian rights advocates were quick to hail the measure as “historic”.
The Institute for Middle East Understanding (IMEU), a think tank that supports Palestinian rights, thanked Tlaib for “giving voice to this reality, and highlighting the pain and injustice Palestinians have suffered”.
The Nakba is rarely ever discussed in mainstream US politics, as Israel has enjoyed widespread support from legislators and successive presidents from both major parties for decades.
Palestinians across the world commemorated Nakba Day on Sunday with rallies that emphasised the right of return for Palestinian refugees. They also demanded justice for Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, who was killed by Israeli forces in the West Bank last week.
Supporters of Tlaib and Palestinian rights consider the decision to introduce the resolution “historic”.
BREAKING: @RepRashida has introduced a historic House resolution recognizing the Nakba, the catastrophe that took place 74 years ago and resulted in the murder of thousands of Palestinians, forcing the expulsion of over 700,000 from their homes.
— IMEU (@theIMEU) May 16, 2022
