May 15 is marked by Palestinian Arabs and probably a substantial percentage of Israeli Arabs as Nakba Day, the day of catastrophe.

The catastrophe in this telling is the declaration of the State of Israel in the wake of the culmination of the British Mandate. The Nakba was also the supposed “expulsion”[1]of Arabs from their homes and villages, which became a permanent reality after the defeat of the invading Arab armies by the defense forces of the new nation of Israel.

One might ask why should this day be marked? Is it just a recognition of a historical event, or is it more likely a mourning for the existential reality of the State of Israel? Correction: I should have said "Hashemites"