UN Commemorates Palestinian Nakba For First Time On 75th Anniversary

By Staff, Agencies

For the first time in 75 years, the UN will officially commemorate the Nakba — the plight of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who were forced to leave their homes upon the formation of the ‘Israeli’ occupation entity.

The UN passed a historic resolution in 2022, despite the Zionist regime’s vehement opposition, to recognize the Nakba, which roughly translates to “catastrophe,” a day marred with painful memories of displacement and widely documented reports of torture and mass killings by ‘Israeli’ forces against Palestinians in 1948.

On Monday, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is expected to make a speech at the UN General Assembly to mark the occasion.

The assembly will also host a commemorative event, with live music and personal testimonies.

“This is an occasion to highlight the noble goals of justice and peace, require recognizing the reality and history of the Palestinian people's plight and ensuring fulfilment of their inalienable rights,” the UN said.

In November, the 193-member General Assembly approved a resolution by a vote of 90-30 with 47 abstentions requesting that the UN Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People organize a high-level event on May 15 to commemorate the Nakba.

The US mission said none of its diplomats would attend Monday's commemoration.

Meanwhile, the Zionist entity’s ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan, criticized the UN’s decision to mark the “one-sided” commemoration, claiming that it “gives a green light to the Palestinians to continue exploiting international organs to promote their libelous narrative.”

It was the UNGA resolution of December 1947 that approved dividing Palestine, which allowed ‘Israel’ to declare independence once the British mandate expired in 1948, leading to mass displacement.

Many Palestinians argue that the Nakba is still happening.

On the day of the anniversary, a Palestinian man was martyred by ‘Israeli’ forces in the West Bank during a raid on the city of Nablus, the Palestinian Health Authority said.