IMEU Institute for Middle East Understanding
Nakba means "Catastrophe" in Arabic. It refers to the destruction of Palestinian society in 1948 when approximately 750,000 Palestinians fled or were forced into exile by Israeli troops. Because the Palestinians were not Jewish, their presence and predominant ownership of the land were obstacles to the creation of a Jewish state. Their exodus, or Nakba, was already nearly half-complete by May 1948, when Israel declared its independence and the Arab states entered the fray.
Fact Sheets
Since Israel’s establishment in 1948, the United Nations and international community have not recognized the sovereignty of any country to any part of Jerusalem in the absence of a permanent peace agreement in the region.
on June 16, 2024
Fact Sheets
The Palestinian “Nakba” (“catastrophe” in Arabic) refers to the mass expulsion of Palestinian Arabs from British Mandate Palestine during Israel’s creation (1947-49). The Nakba was not an unintended result of war. It was a deliberate and systematic act necessary for the creation of a Jewish majority state in historic Palestine, which was overwhelmingly Arab prior to 1948.
on April 5, 2023
Fact Sheets
Shimon Peres
on September 28, 2016
Fact Sheets
Since July 7, Israel has killed at least 1361 Palestinians in Gaza, including at least 249 children. More than 7600 others have been injured. On Wednesday (July 30), Israel killed at least 130 Palestinians in Gaza and wounded 400 others.
on July 31, 2014
Fact Sheets
As Israel continues its ongoing military assault on the occupied Gaza Strip, the IMEU offers the following update on the situation on the ground.
on July 29, 2014
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The IMEU offers this fact sheet on the Nakba, which led to the displacement of up to one million Palestinians. The Palestinian refugee and displaced person population is the largest and longest-standing in the world.
on May 8, 2013
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"We must expel Arabs and take their places...and, if we have to use force-not to dispossess the Arabs of the Negev and Transjordan, but to guarantee our own right to settle in those places-then we have force at our disposal."
on May 9, 2007