RAMALLAH/JERUSALEM, 16 May 2008 — As thousands of Palestinians throughout the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, Syria and Lebanon marked yesterday the official 60th anniversary of the Nakba — the 1948 events that led to the “catastrophe” of the State of Israel’s inception, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas used the opportunity to emphasize the urgency of finding a solution to the conflict which has plagued the region for the past 60 years.
Abbas said during a televised speech, which was broadcasted in honor of the day that “after 60 years since the ‘Nakba,’ the time has come for the Palestinian people to establish an independent state with Jerusalem as its capital.”
Occupation and the continuation of the Nakba won’t bring security to Israel, Abbas warned, saying that “an end to the occupation will bring security, this is what’s been proven throughout the history of occupations in the world.”
Throughout the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem, Palestinians marked Israel’s 60th anniversary by staging a series of marches and strikes. The event began with a two-minute siren and a moment of silence.
On this occasion, the Palestinian Authority and Hamas pledged that they would never give up the right of return for all refugees to their original homes inside Israel.
The memorial coincided with a high-profile visit to Israel by US President George W. Bush as part of Israel’s celebration. Bush’s embrace of Israel at a time when the Palestinians were mourning was bound to further harm the tainted US image in the Palestinian areas and across the Arab world.
Hamas supporters stayed away from West Bank marches, while Hamas police in Gaza prevented rallies by their political rivals, including Abbas’ Fatah movement.
In Ramallah, thousands gathered in downtown Manara Square, stood in silence as a siren wailed, then listened to a taped Abbas speech. Some carried black flags, and at a separate event, youngsters released thousands of black balloons near a West Bank crossing into Israel.
In Gaza, several thousands Hamas supporters marched toward a sealed Israeli border crossing, to protest the near-complete closure of the territory since Hamas’ violent takeover last June.
Later, several dozen teens walked to Israeli positions on the border and threw stones. Israeli forces fired live rounds and tear gas, and Hamas police said three Palestinians were wounded.
Israel’s military had sent reinforcements to the Gaza border and warned that those trying to break through the border fence were risking their lives. In the Jabaliya refugee camp and the southern Gaza town of Rafah, Hamas police banned Nakba marches of rivals, tearing down political posters, blocking streets and stopping cars.
Also in Gaza, Hamas’ smaller Islamist rival, Islamic Jihad, organized a march of about 500 elementary school children who marched in military-style uniforms, carrying models of rockets and fake rifles through Gaza City’s main square.
Bush yesterday addressed Israel’s parliament. He criticized the deadly tactics of extremist groups and denounced anti-Semitism, especially by those who want to wipe Israel “off the map.”
“We believe that religious liberty is fundamental to civilized society, so we condemn anti-Semitism in all forms whether by those who openly question Israel’s right to exist, or by others who quietly excuse them,” Bush said. Bush also pledged that the United States has an unbreakable bond with Israel.
Delivering this rosy forecast for the Middle East in 2068 during a speech to the Knesset, Bush limited his mention of Palestinians to just one sentence.
“The Palestinian people will have the homeland they have long dreamed of and deserved, a democratic state that is governed by law, and respects human rights, and rejects terror,” he said.
This scant talk of the other side of one of the world’s longest-running disputes contrasted jarringly with the more expansive treatment of the subject by Bush’s Israeli hosts.
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told the lawmakers that he is working hard for an accord and believes “when the day comes for a historic peace agreement” that both the Knesset and the Israeli public will support it “by a large majority.”
Meanwhile, the separation of Hamas-run Gaza and the Abbas-ruled West Bank is deepening. The rivals are not on speaking terms, and the two territories that were to make up the future state are cut off from one another by Israeli travel bans.
“The level of hopelessness is very strong,” said Palestinian pollster Jamil Rabih, adding that a recent survey indicates that half the Palestinians don’t expect to see a state established within the next 25 years. “There is nothing on the horizon for us,” he added.
The gloomy mood has been compounded by Israeli independence day parties.
Last week, Israel celebrated the Hebrew calendar anniversary of its May 14, 1948, founding with fireworks, picnics and air force flyovers. A second round of celebrations followed this week, with the participation of Bush.
—With input from agencies
