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Al Nakba
 May
15 is mourned by Palestinians as the date of their Nakba, or "catastrophe",
while Israelis celebrate the date as the anniversary of their independence. On
that date in 1948 the ethnic cleansing of Arabs in major parts of Palestine was
formalized to make room for the new State of Israel.
Since 1948 millions of
Palestinian Arabs have lived in exile, others have been displaced as a result of
Israel’s 40-year-old occupation of the West Bank and Gaza, and still others have
been forced from their homes by Israel’s construction of its Apartheid Wall.
According to international law and United Nations resolutions Palestinian
refugees have legal rights to return to their homes, but Israel systematically
disregards these rights.
On May 15, 2007, Palestinians
gathered all over the West Bank and Gaza and in Israel to commemorate the 59th
anniversary of the Nakba. Numerous activities were organized by Palestinians in
Arab host countries and beyond. We of MPT in the West Bank took part in two
such gatherings here.
 The
first gathering we attended was a non-violent sit-in protest near Al Khader, a
village south of Bethlehem. The Israeli Supreme Court has ruled that a
one-family settlement near Al Khader is illegal and should be evacuated.
However, nothing has been done to implement this decision. The settlers are
still there and Israeli soldiers continue to deny the villagers access to their
lands. 
During the sit-in signs and banners were used to protest these and other
injustices of the occupation.
 Next
we went to a United Nations building in Bethlehem. There a statement was
read expressing regret for the loss of Palestinian lives in Gaza caused by
Palestinians and asking for a cessation of these killings. Press statements
were made and a letter to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon was read. 
 The
letter to Secretary General Ki-moon reminds the world that western states and
the United Nations share responsibility for the creation of the Palestinian
Nakba and the refugee question, and are under the legal and moral obligation to
ensure that Palestinian refugees can return to their homes and properties in
accordance with international law and UN Resolutions
The letter further demands
that the United Nations and member states end the sanctions imposed on the
occupied people, put pressure on Israel to end its occupation and apartheid
regime over the Palestinians, and work for the return of the Palestinian
refugees so as to finally create the conditions for justice, peace and
prosperity in the region. Perhaps if these things come about, May 15 can
become a day of celebration for Israelis and Palestinians alike rather than a
day of mourning for some.
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