AT 11 AM EST / 6 PM PALESTINE
Every year on May 15th, millions of Palestinians around the world commemorate the Nakba, or the catastrophe that befell them in 1948. This catastrophe resulted in the dispossession of an estimated 750,000 refugees from historic Palestine, and the uprooting of two-thirds of the Palestinian Arab population and their society in the process of the creation of the State of Israel.
73 years later, the Nakba remains central to Palestinian national identity and political aspirations, as evidenced by the 2018-19 Gaza March of Return and even the recent protests in Jerusalem. However, despite being a core Palestinian grievance, the Nakba continues to be whitewashed or denied outright by pundits, lobbyists, and even policymakers.
The Middle East Institute and Project48 are pleased to host an esteemed group of experts to shed light on what transpired in 1948 and why the events of the Nakba still resonate today and remain central to understanding Israel and Palestine. This event is co-sponsored by the Foundation for Middle East Peace, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and the Institute for Palestine Studies.
Keynote address:
Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib: is Representative, 13th District of Michigan, US House of Representatives.
Speakers:
Rashid Khalidi: is Professor, Columbia University.
Lubnah Shomali: is Executive director, BADIL.
Umar Al-Ghubari: is Program director, Zochrot.
Mohammed El Kurd: is an Author and Poet.
Nooran Alhamdan (moderator): is Graduate research fellow, Program on Palestine and Palestinian-Israeli Affairs, MEI.
Khaled Elgindy (moderator): is Senior fellow and director, Program on Palestine and Palestinian-Israeli Affairs, MEI.