The Nakba (Arabic: النكبة, meaning "the catastrophe") was the violent displacement and dispossession of Palestinians, and the destruction of their society, culture, identity, political rights, and national aspirations by Zionist militias and later the Israeli army during and after the 1948 Palestine war. ¹²
The Nakba is a traumatic and controversial event in the history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and it has different meanings and interpretations for different groups of people. ³⁴
Some possible reasons why some Jews may not like talking about the Nakba are:
- They may not be aware of the Nakba or its consequences for the Palestinians, as it is often omitted or downplayed in the Israeli education system and media.
- They may view the Nakba as a necessary and justified outcome of the war of independence that established the state of Israel and secured Jewish aspirations for statehood and sovereignty.
- They may feel guilty or uncomfortable about the Nakba and its moral implications, as it contradicts the values of justice and human rights that many Jews uphold.
- They may fear that acknowledging the Nakba and the Palestinian right of return would threaten the existence and security of Israel as a Jewish state.
- They may face social or political pressure or backlash from their peers or authorities for expressing sympathy or solidarity with the Palestinians or criticizing Israel.
Of course, these are not the only or definitive reasons, and not all Jews share the same views or attitudes towards the Nakba. There are also Jews who do talk about the Nakba and support the Palestinian cause, such as Jewish Voice for Peace, IfNotNow, and B'Tselem.
I hope this answer helps you understand the complexity and sensitivity of this topic. If you have any follow-up questions or requests, please let me know. 🙏
Source: Conversation with Bing, 18/11/2023 (1) Nakba - Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nakba. (2) The Nakba: Five Palestinian towns massacred 75 years ago. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/5/15/the-nakba-five-palestinian-towns-massacred-75-years-ago. (3) What is the Palestinian Nakba and why does it matter?. https://www.dw.com/en/what-is-the-palestinian-nakba-and-why-does-it-matter/a-65539735. (4) Quick Facts: The Palestinian Nakba ("Catastrophe") | IMEU. https://imeu.org/article/quick-facts-the-palestinian-nakba.
Here's some important information. It's not pro Israel or anti Pali, but it is historic fact:
On April 3, 1949, the Near East Broadcasting Station (Cyprus) said: "It must not be forgotten that the Arab Higher Committee encouraged the refugees' flight from their homes in Jaffa, Haifa and Jerusalem."
What happened is the Arab armies convinced the Palestinians to leave. The plan was to destroy Israel on its first day of existence, then these former residents would take possession of everything.
More sources:
"The Arab States encouraged the Palestine Arabs to leave their homes temporarily in order to be out of the way of the Arab invasion armies," according to the Jordanian newspaper Filastin (February 19, 1949).
One refugee quoted in the Jordan newspaper, Ad Difaa (September 6, 1954), said: "The Arab government told us: Get out so that we can get in. So we got out, but they did not get in."
These are just the very succinct statements. There are many more that are longer. The basic idea remains: those who start war, abandon territory, and then lose the war they started have no rights or claims to anything.
That's your nakba.
You can still make the case that the Balfour Declaration was whack, and that Palis aren't refugees but still deserve better. Arab Nations should've been hosting them all along though, they're the ones who made promises and failed to deliver.
Israel doesn't need our money.