Today is a great day of irony and contrast in Israel—the way it’s been since 1948. The decimated Palestinian population somberly commemorates Yawm an-Nakba, the Day of the Catastrophe, marking the anniversary of this day in 1948 when more than 700,000 Palestinians were expelled from their homes and forced to flee their ancestral land. It also is a festive day, for the nation today called Israel—Palestine, up until 70 years ago—was born out of war.

Today’s observances take place against a backdrop of blood and brutality, as Palestinians bury their dead—58 of them, including children, according to reports—who through protest were calling attention to the decades of suffering they have endured under apartheid Israeli rule and control.

Gilbert Mercier is the founding editor in chief of News Junkie Post. He also is an international journalist, photojournalist and filmmaker, and author of The Orwellian Empire, about the ravages of corporatism. He joins Leid Stories to discuss the larger picture of yesterday’s government-directed massacre.