05/14/2026
Today, Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (MI-12) re-introduced the resolution Recognizing the Ongoing Nakba and Palestinian Refugees’ Rights.
May 15, 2026, marks the 78th anniversary of the Nakba. The Nakba, which means “catastrophe” in Arabic, refers to the mass expulsion and ethnic cleansing of Palestinians from their homes and homeland during the creation of the state of Israel (1947-49). The Nakba did not end in 1948, but continues to this day as Israeli forces continue to commit genocide in Gaza and dispossess Palestinians across all of Palestine.
“The Nakba never ended. Today, the Israeli apartheid regime is committing genocide in Gaza, violently erasing entire communities across the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem, and bombing Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon. It is a campaign to erase Palestinians from existence,” said Congresswoman Tlaib. “War criminal Netanyahu and his cabinet have repeatedly threatened to ethnically cleanse the entire Palestinian population in Gaza, annex the land, and permanently occupy it. Today, they are extending these same threats towards southern Lebanon. As we mark the 78th anniversary of the Nakba, we honor all of those killed since the ethnic cleansing of Palestine began and all those who have been forced from their homes and violently displaced from their land. This immense trauma, including the loss of their loved ones and connections to the communities they grew up in, needs to be repaired. True peace must be built on justice and the inalienable right of return for Palestinian refugees.”
The Israeli government also continues the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians through illegal settlements and segregated communities in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, the destruction of Palestinian homes and seizure of agricultural land, the revocation of residency rights, and the denial of the internationally recognized legal right of return of millions of Palestinian refugees. The United States is an accomplice in the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians, providing endless funding and weapons.
Congresswoman Tlaib’s resolution commemorates the 78th anniversary of the Nakba and promotes better education and understanding of this well-documented history. The resolution also calls on Congress to reinstate support for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), which provides live-saving humanitarian assistance to Palestinian refugees.
Source: https://tlaib.house.gov/posts/tlaib-introduces-resolution-recognizing-78-years-of-ongoing-palestinian-nakba
It’s Ceasefire first, then lift the siege, then end the occupation then Free Palestine.
Join us this Friday at our weekly peace vigil, 4th & Water Street, as we remember Shireen Ablu Akleh and commemorate the 78th anniversary of Nakba Day, or find a Nakba Day event near you.
For information and regular updates about conditions in Gaza and the West Bank, follow the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs for the Occupied Palestinian Territories at https://www.ochaopt.org
Thank you to the Olympia Fellowship of Reconciliation for organizing these vigils and welcoming us all. Please respect the peaceful and welcoming spirit that FOR has maintained at these weekly gatherings for so many years.
