Students Remember Nakba: Dozens Gather in White Plaza to Commemorate Palestinian Refugees

By Brendan Marten
Stanford Daily
Thursday, May 16, 2002

Yesterday, students gathered in White Plaza to commemorate Nakba Day. This annual time of observation is well-known within the Palestinian community. It is intended to be a time of reflection on 700,000 Palestinians who left Israel during its war for independence during 1947 and 1948.

Palestinians claim they were expelled by Jewish people but Israelis claim that Palestinians fled of their own accord or were encouraged by other Arabs.

Today, the future of these people and their descendants is a major sticking point between Israel and Palestine. Palestinians want a "right of return" to Israel. Israel claims that other Arabs are keeping the Palestinians in refugee camps.

Yael Ben-zvi, a doctoral student and one of the organizers for the day's events, explained the day's significance for Palestinians.

"This is not a celebration, but rather a commemoration of a tragic series of events in which over 700,000 people became refugees," Ben-zvi said.

The gathering featured Palestinian poetry readings, Arabic music performances, a ceremony dealing with the destruction of Palestinian communities, a photo exhibit depicting Palestinian society before the Nakba -- which means "catastrophe" in Arabic -- and several guest lecturers.

The Coalition for Justice in Israel/Palestine presented the commemoration, along with the assistance of the History Department and funding from the Graduate Student Council.

A statement concerning Nakba Day issued by the group stressed the group's emphasis and commitment toward diversity within its ranks.

It described how its "membership includes Muslims, Jews, Christians and other faiths; Stanford students, faculty, and community members; and Americans, Palestinians, Israelis, and other nationalities."

Ben-zvi said that the day's presentation was planned "in a packed room where one could hear English, Arabic, and Hebrew as people shared experiences, thoughts and family histories while working together."

She explained that the planners of the event hope that Nakba Day will inspire students to pay closer attention to issues concerning the Middle East.

"As a student group the main goal is to contribute to educating the Stanford community about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the possible paths toward its solution," Ben-zvi said. "We believe that learning the history is necessary for formulating responsible approaches that are more likely to encourage a solution of the painful conflict impacting the lives of many of us."

Fellow students expressed similar sentiments concerning Nakba Day.

"I myself have always sympathized with the plight of the Palestinian people and appreciate the efforts of organizations such as this to raise awareness about these incredibly important issues," said Timnit Gebru, a freshman. "Accurate historical understanding is something that should be striven for by all."

Ben-zvi mentioned that not all students though are necessarily receptive to her group's viewpoint.

"We are presenting a part of history that is often left untold and unknown, and for some people, this may be difficult to hear, so we have encountered some objections toward our work," Ben-zvi said.

But despite the potential for controversy, students overall seemed to be sympathetic to the efforts and intentions of the event coordinators.

"I think it is good that organizations are raising awareness about the past in ways like this," said junior Srinivas Panguluri.