ISSUE NO: 004

Mapping the Nakba

The MLN webinar titled "Mapping the Nakba - tracing settler colonialism" was introduced by Hassanal. The webinar focused on the history of the Nakba and its relevance in the contemporary context. Professor Ilan Pappe was the moderator for the event.

Prof. Pappe concluded by stating that the Zionist movement's settler colonialism began in the 1920sand continued through various periods, including the June '67 war and the present day, with ongoing campaigns of ethnic cleansing. He then introduced Dr. Salman Abu Sitta as the first speaker, a Palestinian researcher known for his work on mapping Palestine, including the Nakba map that showcased destroyed villages. Dr. Abu Sitta developed a plan for implementing the right of return for Palestinian refugees and is involved in mapping the demographic, economic,and cultural aspects of Palestine pre-1948, during 1948, and in envisioning a liberated Palestine.

Dr. Salman Abu Sitta spoke about the ongoing Nakba experienced by Palestinians, starting from the events of 1948 when his birthplace was attacked and destroyed. He emphasised that the Zionist invasion of Palestine began even before the creation of Israel, and many villages and cities were depopulated before Israel's establishment.

He emphasised that the right of return is both sacred and legal, and it can be achieved without causing harm to Jewish citizens who wish to live in a free and democratic country. However, he stated that Zionism, apartheid, and racism should have no place in the future of Palestine. Dr. Abu Sitta also mentioned the possibility of using reparations from Israel to cover the costs of reconstruction, suggesting it would be more economical in comparison to the aid given to Israel by the United States.

Israeli institutions, which manipulated and censored the materials for colonial purposes. The second way involved the active gathering of knowledge about Palestinians by Israeli colonial bodies before,during, and after the Nakba, including information about villages, residents, and landscapes. Dr. Sela highlighted the use of settler colonial sources, which were created through erasure and concealment, and proposed challenging the oppressive colonial contents by redirecting them into a new channel that counters the original goals. She emphasised that this approach was just one part of the available knowledge about Palestinian history and called for the return of archival materials to Palestinians as a form of resistance. Dr. Sela acknowledged the long and ongoing work required to uncover the extent of materials still closed and censored in Israeli archives.

Dr.Yazbak emphasised the significance of oral history as a way to address the exclusion of Palestinian voices from mainstream historiography. She discussed the role of oral narratives in compensating for the loss of written sources,especially among the rural displaced population. The memory of displacement becomes a critical aspect of their lives, and oral history helps preserve and transmit their experiences, creating sites of memory and meaning. Dr. Yazbak also highlighted the challenges faced in documenting oral history, particularly the limited research on the Nakba generation and displaced persons, with a focus on the marginalisation of women's voices. Dr. Yazbak stressed the importance of gender as an analytical category and the need to recognise the double oppression faced by Palestinian women as Palestinians and as women within Palestinian society. She discussed the distinction between urban and rural experiences and the different narratives associated with them. Rural men are often seen as representing the attachment to the land, while rural women are portrayed as objects to be protected. Urban women's narratives have often been subsumed within a broader urban experience, limiting their ability to share their specific perspectives. Dr. Yazbak acknowledged the social stereotypes against Palestinian women and the initial reluctance of some informants to share their knowledge. She emphasized the need to "gender the field"and include women in the historiography to ensure their narratives are documented and heard. She concluded by highlighting the urgency of documenting oral history, particularly among elderly Nakba survivors and women. Dr. Yazbak emphasised that oral history serves not only as a method of documenting narratives but also as a political tool to confront occupation, colonial practices, and Zionist erasure. It validates Palestinian collective memory and contributes to the pursuit of truth, justice, and hope for future generations.