On May 15, Palestinians worldwide mark the Nakba (“catastrophe”) – the forced displacement and ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in 1948. Seventy-seven years later, the dispossession continues.
Several organisations are inviting the public to join a march in Gżira to commemorate the 77th anniversary of the Nakba, to condemn the ongoing genocide in Gaza, and to raise their voices in solidarity for a free Palestine. The march will take place on Saturday 17th May, starting at 3pm from the Council of Europe Garden and ending in St. Anne’s Square.
On 15th May 1948, the State of Israel was established following the UN’s “Partition Resolution” in 1947, with the direct support of Britain and Western powers, and was accompanied by a series of premeditated Zionist military assaults launched between 1947 and 1949.
At least 750,000 Palestinians from a 1.9 million population were made refugees. Zionist forces seized more than 78 percent of historic Palestine, ethnically cleansed and destroyed about 530 villages and cities, and killed about 15,000 Palestinians in a series of mass atrocities, including more than 70 massacres.
Despite UN resolution 194 calling for the right of return for Palestinian refugees, Palestinian refugees were never allowed to return but were instead stuck in limbo struggling with their 77-year status of statelessness while holding onto the keys of their stolen homes.
The Nakba has been ongoing ever since that date through the annexation of large areas of Palestinian land, military occupation, expansion of illegal Israeli settlements, mass imprisonment of Palestinians, apartheid policies, and decades of illegal Israeli blockades on the Gaza Strip.
Today we are witnessing Israel committing a genocide in Gaza with live streamed horrifying images of Palestinian children being burnt alive in their tents. 69% of Gaza’s territory is now under Israeli evacuation and no-go areas with a total blockade imposed since March 2nd. In the past year and a half, over 17,000 children have been killed and thousands have been injured, while no less than 420,000 people have been displaced several times. In addition, Israeli military forces are illegally abducting more and more Palestinian people, holding them under terrible conditions and torture. Currently, Israeli prisons are holding 9,900 Palestinians – at least 400 of whom are children.
As the International Court of Justice (ICJ) investigates Israel’s genocide, it asks state parties to the Geneva Convention to take action to prevent its escalation. As the International Criminal Court (ICC) accuses Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant of war crimes and crimes against humanity, it asks us to give such criminals no support or shelter.
In this context, the march remembering the Nakba will call on Malta to:
- recognise the State of Palestine
- enforce an arms embargo on Israel
- sanction vessels, aircraft, and individuals involved in the arms trade supporting the genocide, including de-flagging any such vessels carrying the Maltese flag
- suspend collaboration with institutions and companies that are complicit with the occupation and the ongoing genocide
It will also call on Members of the European Parliament, European institutions and companies to:
- suspend the EU-Israel Association Agreement until Israel complies with the ICJ ruling
- suspend Israel from European sports and from the Eurovision Contest
Organised by:
Embassy of Palestine in Malta
Ġustizzja għall-Palestina
Moviment Graffitti
The Lebanese Advocates
The Watermelon Warriors
Youth for Palestine
Endorsed by:
Aditus
ADPD
Blue Door Education
Dance Beyond Borders
General Workers Union (GWU)
Humanists Malta
Il-Progressivi
Inizjamed
Kunsill Nazzjonali taż-Żgħażagħ (KNŻ)
Partit Momentum
PEN Malta
Solidarjetà
Żminijietna
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Mixja fil-Gżira biex titfakkar in-Nakba Palestinjana
Fil-15 ta’ Mejju, il-Palestinjani madwar id-dinja jfakkru n-Nakba (“katastrofi”) – it-tkeċċija u t-tindif etniku tal-Palestinjani fl-1948. Wara sebgħa u sebgħin sena, il-katastrofi għadha għaddejja.
Diversi organizzazzjonijiet qegħdin jistiednu lill-pubbliku biex jingħaqad magħhom f’mixja fil-Gżira. Waqt il-mixja ser infakkru is-77 anniversarju tan-Nakba, nikkundannaw il-ġenoċidju li għaddej f’Gaza, u nesprimu s-solidarjetà tagħna għal Palestina ħielsa. Il-mixja se ssir nhar is-Sibt 17 ta’ Mejju, u se tibda fit-3pm mill-Ġnien il-Kunsill tal-Ewropa, u tispiċċa fi Pjazza Sant’Anna..
Fil-15 ta’ Mejju tal-1948, ġie mwaqqaf l-Istat Iżraeljan wara r-riżolużżjoni tan-Nazzjonijiet Magħquda favur pjan diviżorju, bl-appoġġ dirett tal-Gran Brittanja u l-qawwiet tal-Punent. Din kienet akkumpanjata minn sensiela ta’ attakki militari premeditati miż-Żionisti bejn l-1947 u l-1949.
Mill-inqas 750,000 Palestinjan minn popolazzjoni ta’ 1.9 miljun tkeċċew minn arthom u saru refuġjati. Il-forzi Żionisti ħatfu aktar minn 78 fil-mija tal-Palestina storika, qerdu madwar 530 raħal u belt, u qatlu madwar 15,000 Palestinjan f’sensiela ta’ atroċitajiet tal-massa, fosthom aktar minn 70 massakru.
Għalkemm ir-riżoluzzjoni 194 tan-Nazzjonijiet Magħquda sejħet għad-dritt tar-ritorn għar-refuġjati Palestinjani, dawn qatt ma tħallew imorru lura. Għalhekk baqgħu maqbudin f’limbu barra minn arthom, u mingħjar ma jappartjenu għall-ebda stat, għal 77 sena sħaħ, filwaqt li baqgħu iżommu l-imfietaħ tad-djar misruqa tagħhom.
In-Nakba baqgħet għaddejja minn dakinhar ‘l hawn permezz tal-annessjoni ta’ meded t’artijiet Palestinjani mill-Iżrael, l-okkupazzjoni militari, l-espansjoni ta’ insedjamenti illegali Iżraeljani, priġunerija tal-massa tal-Palestinjani, politiki ta’ apartheid, u mblokki illegali Iżraeljani fuq Gaża għal għexieren ta’ snin.
Illum qed naraw lill-Iżrael iwettaq ġenoċidju f’Gaża, bi stampi tal-biża’ mxandra live ta’ tfal Palestinjani maħruqin ħajjin fit-tined tagħhom. 69% tat-territorju ta’ Gaża issa jinsab taħt evakwazzjoni Iżraeljana u mniżżel bħala żoni mhux aċċessibbli. Mit-2 ta’ Marzu ‘l hawn, imblokk totali fuq kull għajnuna umanitarja ġie impost mill-Iżrael. Fl-aħħar sena u nofs, aktar minn 17,000 tifel u tifla nqatlu u eluf oħra ndarbu, filwaqt li aktar minn 420,000 persuna kellhom jaħarbu minn djarhom bosta drabi. Barra minn hekk, il-forzi militari Iżraeljani qegħdin jaħtfu b’mod illegali aktar u aktar Palestinjani u jżommuhom f’kundizzjonijiet ħorox u fit-tortura. Bħalissa, 9,900 Palestinjan qegħdin jinżammu fil-ħabsijiet Iżraeljani – mill-inqas 400 minnhom huma tfal.
Il-Qorti Internazzjonali tal-Ġustizzja (ICJ) qiegħda tinvestiga l-ġenoċidju mill-Iżrael u qiegħda titlob lill-pajjiżi firmatarji tal-Konvenzjoni ta’ Ġinevra biex jieħdu azzjoni ħalli jevitaw iktar eskalazzjoni. Il-Qorti Kriminali Internazzjonali (ICC) qiegħda takkuża lil Benjamin Netanyahu u lil Yoav Gallant b’delitti tal-gwerra u kontra l-umanità, u qiegħda titlobna biex ma nagħtu l-ebda appoġġ jew kenn lil dawn il-kriminali.
F’dan il-kuntest, il-mixja li tfakkar in-Nakba ser isejjaħ sabiex Malta:
- tagħraf l-Istat tal-Palestina
- timponi embargo fuq armi lill-Iżrael
- tissanzjona bastimenti, ajruplani, u individwi involuti fil-kummerċ tal-armi li qiegħed jappoġġja l-ġenoċidju, inkluż it-tneħħija tal-bandiera Maltija minn dawn il-bastimenti
- tissospendi kull kollaborazzjoni ma’ istituzzjonijiet u kumpaniji kompliċi fl-okkupazzjoni u l-ġenoċidju li għaddej
Ser issejjaħ ukoll lill-Membri tal-Parlament Ewropew, istituzzjonijiet u kumpaniji Ewropej biex:
- jissospendu l-Ftehim ta’ Assoċjazzjoni UE-Iżrael sakemm l-Iżrael jimxi mad-deċiżjoni tal-ICJ
- jissospendu lil Iżrael minn sport Ewropew u mill-konkors tal-Eurovision
Organizzata minn:
L-Ambaxxata Palestinjana f’Malta
Ġustizzja għall-Palestina
Moviment Graffitti
The Lebanese Advocates
The Watermelon Warriors
Youth for Palestine
Bl-appoġġ ta’:
Aditus
ADPD
Blue Door Education
General Workers Union (GWU)
Humanists Malta
Il-Progressivi
Inizjamed
Kunsill Nazzjonali taż-Żgħażagħ (KNŻ)
Partit Momentum
PEN Malta
Solidarjetà
Żminijietna
