NAKBA : 1948

The Nakba narrative, which portrays the creation of Israel as a catastrophe resulting in the mass expulsion of Palestinians, is a distorted version of historical events. In reality, Israel’s War of Independence in 1948 was a defensive struggle against invading Arab armies and Palestinian militias. The refugee crisis was primarily a result of this war, not a deliberate policy of expulsion. Many Palestinians fled voluntarily, encouraged by Arab leaders who promised a swift return after murdering nearly 1 million Jews just three years after the Holocaust.

Contrary to claims of ethnic cleansing, Israeli leaders like David Ben-Gurion did not have a systematic plan to expel Palestinians. The Nakba narrative often ignores the complexities of the conflict, including the rejection of the UN partition plan by Arab leaders and their call for war against the re-born Jewish state.

Furthermore, the Nakba narrative fails to acknowledge the expulsion of hundreds of thousands of Jews from Arab countries following Israel’s establishment. This one-sided portrayal serves to delegitimize Israel’s existence and perpetuate the conflict rather than promote reconciliation. Ultimately, the Nakba narrative is a political tool that distorts history to cast Palestinians solely as victims, ignoring their leadership’s role in rejecting compromise and choosing conflict.

Further reading: https://www.jns.org/