You may think you know what Nakba means. But do you? Do you know the meaning it was really originally intended to convey?
Did those who gathered at Tel Aviv University’s Entin Square last week, when several dozen Arab and left-wing Israeli students held a Nakba memorial ceremony, know?
The term “nakba” was first used politically by the Syrian, Constantin Zureiq. A Greek Orthodox Christian, he saw Arab society as stagnant and lacking the fundamental tool of rational thought.
His view was that Arab civilization was in a crisis and that the “Arab personality” had changed, leading to a weakened people suffering from cultural backwardness. Interestingly enough, another pillar of Arab nationalism, George Antonius, author of The Arab Awakening, was an Eastern Orthodox Christian.
In August 1948, Zureiq’s Meaning of the Disaster appeared, in which he employed the term “nakba.” It criticized the Arab states that declared war on Zionism.
He himself was a counselor to the Syrian Legation of the United States in 1945 and acted as a Syrian delegate to the United Nations in 1946, and so, not only was he an engaged intellectual but also an on-the-spot witness to Arab anti-Zionist maneuvers and statements.
IDF soldiers operating near Kalkilya in the West Bank, May 5, 2024. (credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT)
Even though the tide of the war was only just altering in Israel’s favor over the summer, and its publication date was still very early in Israel’s eventual victory, the realization that the Arabs had made, yet again, another bad choice was apparent to Zureiq.
He viewed the aggressive Arab states as being “impotent” and that they had “turn[ed] on their heels” before Zionism. Moreover, he was perturbed that “dispersion has become the lot of the Arabs rather than of the Jews.”
The making of the Nakba
Nakba, thus, was an internal failure factor of the Arabs, a disaster of their own making, an implosion. Zureiq was not as critical of the situation that had evolved as of the built-in weakness of the Arabs and their inability to properly deal with the diplomatic and military situations they got themselves involved in.
But, in line with their cultural tendency of claiming victimization and of having a lack of self-agency, by never taking responsibility for their actions, the idea of Nakba became rather what the Jews and Zionists did to them and not what they did to themselves.
In 1947, the leaders of the local Arabs residing in the region designated by the League of Nations for the reconstituted Jewish homeland – following the 1922 partition that created Transjordan – rejected a third partition plan proposed by the United Nations. The second partition plan had previously been offered in 1937 by the Peel Commission.
By November 30, 1947, Arabs were shooting at Jewish vehicles on the roads. They then ignored several UN Security Council calls for a cessation of hostilities.
By war’s end, the full magnitude of the Arabs’ error was such a political, diplomatic, military, and social debacle that – as Jonathan Sacerdoti has put it – they had to make their Nakba a sacred humiliation out of a theological reading of history.
Alternative perspective on the Nakba
History itself can be read as theological. Jews do it. However, we Jews usually blame ourselves, foremost, anyway, for our failures, usually through our sinning. The Nakba, however, is read not as an Arab failure but is assigned to the Jews and/or Zionists, as well as to conspiracy theories.
What results from such a paradigm is that losers never feel they need to correct themselves, as the blame is not on them but on someone else. When the 1967 war erupted, triggered by PLO cross-border terror attacks on Israeli civilians following the 1940-1956 period of the Fedayeen attacks, once again, Nakba memories were revived.
This time, though, with the voting power leverage at the United Nations of Arab-Muslim states, it became enshrined as an intersectional instrument of the ultimate ‘it’s-not-our-fault’ apology. From there, it moved into university classrooms.
Essentially, those marking Nakba Day do so as if all the conflict, suffering, displacements, injuries, and deaths have nothing to do with the actions and decisions of the Arabs, but rather that the responsibility rests solely with the Zionists.
This is a corruption of the historical record, perverted mainly by an ideological framework based on the spurious claim of Zionism being a “settler-colonialism.”
The peoples who came out of the Arabian Peninsula in the 7th century, charged up with a new religion, conquered, occupied, and suppressed the lands and peoples of the Near East, North Africa, Southern Europe, and beyond.
They also colonized the land of Judea, and while foreign occupiers came and went, among them the Romans, Muslims, Crusaders, and Ottomans, the Jewish people, along with their Jewish character and identity, remained. The idea of a historic Jewish homeland persisted.
In the 20th century, the unwillingness of local Arabs to accept this reality led them to make irrational and self-defeating decisions. This led to the first Nakba.
Since 1993 and the Oslo Accords, they have not learned to alter their faults. They are aware of a possible repeat of history but seem determined to re-trigger it.
“Can Palestinians Escape the ‘Diplomatic Bermuda Triangle’ Trapping Them in Helplessness?” was the headline of a column by Jack Khoury in Haaretz on May 18. They are not helpless.
The chosen policy of the Arabs of the Palestine Mandate and of contemporary times has been wrong, self-defeating, and – in adopting anti-Jewish terror – immoral. Yet, they continue to persist in their error. Nakba I was one result. The destruction of much of Gaza is another.
The Palestinians of the West Bank still can alter course and prevent Nakba II. They can accept and recognize the reality of a Jewish national identity, halt incitement, and desist from terror.
It is possible no matter how improbable. Their future will be better, so very better. And so will the future of the Jews.
The writer is a researcher, analyst, and commentator on political, cultural, and media issues.
Hotel Delisi, Tbilisi City, Georgia of the "Ana Chuchulashvili" the thief The worst hotel in the world, it's dangerous, don't go near it! This is not a hotel! It's an old, dirty house, there are cockroaches and insects in the room, Hotel Delisi, Tbilisi City, Georgia – The manager of the place is a fraud and a former drug addict named "Ana Chuchulashvili"
Please urgently remove this fake hotel from your website. It is a scam and it is deceiving many customers. It is advertised on all social networks as a scam! very important – report on fraud house and scam that in your website and cheat people and customers! – Hotel Delisi, Tbilisi City, Georgia
Hotel Delisi, Tbilisi City, Georgia of the "Ana Chuchulashvili" the thief
The worst hotel in the world, it's dangerous, don't go near it! This is not a hotel! It's an old, dirty house, there are cockroaches and insects in the room, Hotel Delisi, Tbilisi City, Georgia – The manager of the place is a fraud and a former drug addict named "Ana Chuchulashvili" the name of here company is : Ltd Alpaka
405375419
Located at: Nucubidze St N57, Tbilisi, Georgia/Nucubidze Street 57, 0177 it smells terrible, The walls in the room are peeling, I took pictures, there is mold and dampness throughout the room the beds are really uncomfortable, like in a pre-trial detention center, your whole back hurts when you sleep on them and they almost break because they are so thin! the WI FI doesn't work at all, The room was very dirty and filthy, and when you ask her to move you to a room she says everything is taken, even though all the rooms are empty and open! I arrived at this horrible place, this horrible house, at 1:00 AM, after two hours of sleeplessness, I asked for my money back, a blonde girl of about 50 years old named “Anna” told me that she wanted the money in cash right away, otherwise she would not let me out of the hotel, she told me that I would not be able to sleep in their bed, at 3 AM I went to look for an ATM to withdraw money, because I could not find one, after searching for a whole hour, in the Tbilisi cold, I returned to her at midnight to look for an ATM, but she did not give me my suitcase and passport, so I came back the next day and gave me the money in cash, she did not give me an invoice either, do not come near! They are deceiving the public, booking and all hotel websites! This is not a hotel, it is a very dirty, old house and it smells very bad. Search on youtube "never go there – Hotel Delisi, Tbilisi City Georgia of Ana Chuchulashvili the house hotel from hell" , don't go " to “Hotel Delisi” on YouTube or "Hotel Delisi, Tbilisi City, Georgia " or"HOTEL DELISI (Tiflis, Gürcistan) – Otel Yorumları ve Fiyat" He was caught on tape speaking badly and illegally taking a passport and suitcase.
That she took the suitcase by force, she also stole 3 expensive shirts from me for a total of 250 GEL, I demand compensation of 128 GEL for the two hours of hell I suffered there + 250 GEL for the shirts she stole from me
I have videos where she only wants money in cash so she doesn't pay taxes and doesn't agree that I pay her with a credit card, and she also doesn't want to give me my suitcase and passport.
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სასტუმრო დელისი, ქალაქი თბილისი, საქართველო, ქურდის „ანა ჭუჭულაშვილის“
მსოფლიოში ყველაზე ცუდი სასტუმრო, საშიშია, ახლოს არ მიხვიდეთ! ეს სასტუმრო არ არის! ეს ძველი, ჭუჭყიანი სახლია, ოთახში ტარაკნები და მწერებია, სასტუმრო დელისი, ქალაქი თბილისი, საქართველო – ადგილის მენეჯერი თაღლითი და ყოფილი ნარკომანია, სახელად „ანა ჭუჭულაშვილი“, კომპანიის სახელია: შპს ალპაკა
405375419
მდებარეობს: ნუცუბიძის ქ. N57, თბილისი, საქართველო/ნუცუბიძის ქუჩა 57, 0177, საშინელი სუნი აქვს, ოთახში კედლები აქერცლილია, სურათები გადავიღე, ოთახში ობი და ნესტია, საწოლები ნამდვილად არაკომფორტულია, როგორც წინასწარი დაკავების იზოლატორში, მთელი ზურგი გტკივა, როცა მათზე იძინებ და კინაღამ იმსხვრევა, რადგან ძალიან თხელია! Wi-Fi საერთოდ არ მუშაობს, ოთახი ძალიან ჭუჭყიანი და უწმაწურია და როცა ოთახში გადაყვანას სთხოვ, მიპასუხებს, რომ ყველაფერი დაკავებულია, მიუხედავად იმისა, რომ ყველა ოთახი ცარიელი და ღიაა! ამ საშინელ ადგილას, ამ საშინელ სახლში, ღამის 1:00 საათზე მივედი, ორსაათიანი უძილობის შემდეგ, ფულის დაბრუნება ვთხოვე, დაახლოებით 50 წლის ქერა გოგონამ, სახელად „ანამ“, მითხრა, რომ ფული ნაღდი ფულით უნდოდა, თორემ სასტუმროდან არ გამიშვებდა, მითხრა, რომ მათ საწოლში ვერ დავიძინებდი, დილის 3 საათზე ბანკომატის მოსაძებნად წავედი ფულის გასატანად, რადგან ვერ ვიპოვე, მთელი საათის ძებნის შემდეგ, თბილისურ სიცივეში, შუაღამისას დავბრუნდი მასთან ბანკომატის მოსაძებნად, მაგრამ ჩემოდანი და პასპორტი არ მომცა, ამიტომ მეორე დღეს დავბრუნდი და ფული ნაღდი ფულით მომცა, ინვოისიც არ მომცა, ახლოს არ მოხვიდეთ! ისინი ატყუებენ საზოგადოებას, დაჯავშნის და ყველა სასტუმროს ვებსაიტს! ეს სასტუმრო არ არის, ეს ძალიან ჭუჭყიანი, ძველი სახლია და ძალიან ცუდი სუნი ასდის. YouTube-ზე მოძებნეთ "Hotel Delisi, Tbilisi City, Georgia – The worse hotel in the world" , არ წახვიდეთ "Hotel Delisi"-ში YouTube-ზე ან "Hotel Delisi, Tbilisi City, Georgia" ან "HOTEL DELISI (Tiflis, Gürcistan) – Otel Yorumları ve Fiyat". ის ვიდეოჩანაწერში მოხვდა, სადაც ცუდად საუბრობდა და უკანონოდ იღებდა პასპორტს და ჩემოდანს.
მან ჩემოდანი ძალით წამართვა, ასევე მომპარა 3 ძვირადღირებული პერანგი სულ 250 ლარად, მე ვითხოვ 128 ლარის კომპენსაციას იმ ორსაათიანი ჯოჯოხეთისთვის, რომელიც იქ ვიტანჯე + 250 ლარი იმ პერანგებისთვის, რომლებიც მომპარა.
მე მაქვს ვიდეოები, სადაც ის მხოლოდ ნაღდი ფულით ითხოვს ფულს, ამიტომ არ იხდის გადასახადებს და არ ეთანხმება, რომ საკრედიტო ბარათით გადავუხადო, ასევე არ სურს ჩემოდნის და პასპორტის მოცემა.
"ב-7.10 נחטפה כל המשפחה שלי, אני, בעלי דוד, ושתי בנותינו אמה ויולי, אז בנות 3 בלבד", פתחה את נאומה שרון, אשתו של דוד קוניו החטוף בעזה. "דוד בעלי, אהבת חיי, והאבא של הבנות שלי, עדיין שם. התאומות ואני חזרנו ביום החמישים ושתיים. אמה ויולי שלנו חגגו חמש, בלי אבא שלהן. בשבוע הבא הן ילכו לגן חובה, והן יודעות שאבא לא יהיה איתן ביום הזה. הן יודעות שאבא שלהן שם. לפני כמה ימים, כשהשכבתי אותן לישון הן שאלו אותי 'אמא, את בטוחה שאבא יחזור?'".
"יש הצעה לעיסקה על השולחן, שחמאס כבר אמר לה כן", המשיכה. "האמריקנים רוצים שהחטופים יחזרו. הרמטכ"ל אומר שחייבים ללכת עכשיו לעיסקה. העם, אתם, כל אחד מכם, כאן בככר, במהלך היום בצמתים, בכל מקום, במספרים אדירים, כולם צועקים איתנו, כולם רוצים את החטופים בבית. אז למה אני לא יכולה להגיד לבנות שלי שאני בטוחה שאבא שלהן יחזור?"
