Thread by @rayandawud

Since @netflix’s #farhafilm has ignited a global debate around the Nakba (catastrophe) I thought I’d share an Al Nakba 101 🧵. Context: I have a degree in Palestinian & Zionist political history. I speak Hebrew and I lived in Palestine. 🇵🇸🏡

I want to start with a reminder that in these times of heightened racism and anti-Semitism, not all Jews are Zionists and vice-versa. Supporting Palestinians is also not anti-Semitic; it’s basic human decency. I shouldn’t need to explain that but I am anyway.

https://twitter.com/MiddleEastEye/status/1598752411174064129

It’s important to understand that crimes being committed were part of a pre-meditated ethnic cleansing campaign. In March 1948 Zionist leaders adopted “Plan Dalet” which called for the forceable transfer of Palestinians outside of the country. imeu.org/article/plan-d…

Late President Yitzhak Rabin in @nytimes in 79:

“We walked outside, Ben-Gurion accompanying us. [Yigal] Allon repeated his question, 'What is to be done with the Palestinian population?' Ben-Gurion waved his hand in a gesture which said 'Drive them out!' Rabin added, "I agreed.”

By the time Israel was established in 1948, Zionist militias had managed to clear 220+ villages with force and fear. Today they claim that Arab armies warned residents to flee while conveniently ignoring calls for ethnic cleansing by Israeli officials at the time.

Massacres were used by Zionist leaders to intimidate and encourage the Palestinians to flee. One of the most discussed massacres was that of Deir Yassin, where over 100 Palestinians, including women and children were killed. haaretz.com/israel-news/20…

Deir Yassin was one of many massacres of Palestinian civilians and captured resistance fighters. Israeli leaders were well aware of the crimes, as documented in their own records. haaretz.com/israel-news/20…

The ethnic cleansing and forceable population transfer of Palestinians hasn’t ended. Today, Israel’s govt continues settlement building (violating int law), extrajudicial killings, and forced property transfer in favor of Jewish residents of Jerusalem++.

Crimes of the same nature as those depicted in #FarhaFilm have been well documented by Israeli historians with evidence from the Israeli Military archives. If you’re embarrassed by this film perhaps you have some reflecting to do on your support of Israel’s policies.

If you haven’t already, be sure to watch the film @FarhaFilm on @netflix which, besides it’s historical accuracy, is a beautifully shot coming of age story of a young Palestinian woman. Please rate it on @IMDb as well to counter the politicized negative ratings given by trolls.

For more reading on the events of 1948 / #FarhaFilm and the Nakba a great starting point is Jewish Israeli historian Ilan Pappe’s “The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine”.
amazon.com/Ethnic-Cleansi…

For Palestinian voices highlighting what’s happening on the ground in Palestine today:
@m7mdkurd @kurd_muna @YousefMunayyer @TareqBaconi @yarahawari @visualizingpal @marwasf @tksshawa @Yara_M_Asi @DrHananAshrawi @dianabuttu @AlShabaka @ASE @DaliaHatuqa @LinaAbuAkleh @malsaafin

For other sources on the history of the Occupation and fight for human rights in Palestine, follow: @Akevot @btselem @BtSIsrael @jvplive @hrw @PalestineCenter @mikopeled @Yesh_Din @PeterBeinart @theIMEU @benabyad @Addameer @alhaq_org