Ilan Papp: The Untold Truths of the 1948 Palestinian Nakba

In this statement, delivered at the UN Forum on the Question of Palestine in 2017, Ilan Pappé delves into the events of 1948 that led to the Palestinian Catastrophe. He begins by recounting the role of the United Nations, which appointed the United Nations Special Committee on Palestine (UNSCOP) in 1947. This committee, comprising members who were largely unfamiliar with the region, “totally misunderstood either the Palestinian position or the general Arab League position on the Palestine question.“ Pappé explains how the Jewish community in Palestine initiated a process of ethnic cleansing in early 1948, even before the end of the British Mandate on May 15. By April, over 150,000 Palestinians had been expelled from urban areas, with the massacre at Deir Yassin on April 9 exemplifying the brutality of these expulsions. By the time Arab nations intervened on May 15, 250,000 Palestinians were already refugees. Pappé highlights the systematic destruction of Palestinian villages, stating that “half of Palestine's population was expelled, half of Palestine's villages were demolished, and most of the Palestinian towns were wiped out.“ He concludes by emphasizing the need for acknowledgment, accountability, and acceptance in any peace process. Pappé asserts that the international community must recognize the “catastrophe of 1948“ and hold Israel accountable for the ethnic cleansing that occurred. Only through this acknowledgment can there be hope for a just resolution and acceptance of Israel as part of the Middle East. “The Israelis can ask both the Palestinians and the Arab world to accept them as an organic part of Palestine,“ he states, envisioning a future where past wrongs are addressed and true peace can be achieved. To mark the anniversary of the 1948 War and subsequent uprooting and mass displacement of Palestinians, known in Arabic as Al-Nakba (the Catastrophe), the Committee convened the UN Forum on the Question of Palestine “70 Years after 1948 – Lessons to Achieve a Sustainable Peace“ on 17-18 May 2018. More details about the event: To watch the complete session: Subscribe to the UNISPAL mailing list