Naqba

Today is the commemoration of what the Palestinian community calls Naqba.

I have written many times how I feel the UN and UK have great responsibility in the events that unfolded and yet Israel is solely blamed.

I also feel one failure of Jewish education is not teaching this event in any way. Ignoring it completely. But that is ignorant because we cannot ignore the inherited trauma of those who descend from the people whose lives were destroyed in the events of Naqba. And those people are our neighbors, our citizens, our potential partners in peace.

Years ago, Rabbi Evan Traylor made reference to the two poems on his post of this day.

What stands out to me most:

In Darwish’s second stanza, he says not to forget those who seek peace when you are in the midst of war. I deeply urge people to follow the work of Roots/Shorashim/Judur, Tag Meir and Standing Together. These are the groups who have been in the work of pursuing peace for years.

In Al-Qasim’s poem the message of “my country” acknowledges the historical, religious, and emotional ties for many peoples to haEretz. Why is this so hard for so many?