This week marks the 75th anniversary of the Nakba, or the "catastrophe" in Arabic. It refers both to the events starting in late 1947, when Zionist militias expelled over 700,000 Palestinians from their homes, and the ongoing destruction and occupation of their lands. Today, Palestinians continue to commemorate the Nakba by reclaiming their history, resisting the occupation, and calling for their right to return. We start today's show with a story about how the desperation of life in Gaza under the Israeli blockade is forcing Palestinians to leave by sea. Then, we'll learn more about the history of the Nakba and the role that foreign powers like Britain and the United States have played. 

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Featuring: Rami Almeghari, Gaza-based journalist and poet; Marie Choi, former Making Contact producer and host; Rabab Abdulhadi, founding director and Senior Scholar of the Arab and Muslim Ethnicities and Diasporas (AMED) Studies at San Francisco State University; Hasan Hammami, Nakba survivor from Jaffa, Palestine; Rashid Khalidi, Edward Said Professor of Modern Arab Studies at Columbia University and author of The Hundred Years' War on Palestine    

Host: Lucy Kang Producers: Anita Johnson, Salima Hamirani, Amy Gastelum, and Lucy Kang Executive Director: Jina Chung Interim Senior Producer: Jessica Partnow Engineer: Jeff Emtman Audio from Rashid Khalidi is drawn from a 2021 KPFA book event where he was in conversation with Nora Barrows-Friedman. Hasan Hammami's firsthand account is drawn from "The Nakba and its Generational Impact on Palestinian lives: Memory, Identity, and a Future rooted in Justice," organized by the Foundation for Middle East Peace and Project48 in 2021. Music Credits: Minimal Documentary by penguinmusic via Pixabay Qnoun instrumental with out mix from HOPE SPOKEN/BROKEN 

 

Learn More: 

Making Contact: The Nakba, the Naksa, and the Future of Palestine (2016) "The Nakba and its Generational Impact on Palestinian lives: Memory, Identity, and a Future rooted in Justice," organized by the Foundation for Middle East Peace and Project48 in 2021 Rashid Khalidi & Nora Barrows-Friedman: The Hundred Years’ War on Palestine, organized by KPFA in 2021