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CONTENT OVERVIEW
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DISCUSSION QUESTIONS/PROJECTS
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RELEVANT TEACH-INS
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This composite teaching module brings together powerful segments from teach-ins focused on one of the most pivotal and painful moments in modern Palestinian history: the Nakba. Meaning “the catastrophe” in Arabic, the Nakba refers to the mass displacement, dispossession, and ethnic cleansing of Palestinians that took place in 1948 with the establishment of the Israeli state. But the Nakba is far more than a historical event—it is the beginning of a lived and ongoing reality.
Our speakers guide students through the historical roots, unfolding process, and enduring consequences of the Nakba. In 1948, Zionist paramilitary groups such as the Haganah, Irgun, and Lehi carried out systematic campaigns of terror, expulsion, and destruction. Over 750,000 Palestinians were violently uprooted from their homes and lands; over 500 villages were destroyed; countless families were fractured. What emerged was not only a refugee crisis, but the deliberate dismantling of Palestinian society, memory, and territorial continuity.
This module situates the Nakba not as a singular event of the past, but as the foundational rupture that set in motion decades of military occupation, statelessness, colonial settlement, and now, genocide in Gaza. The Nakba is a lens through which we must understand the broader architecture of Zionism and Israeli state-building—not as exceptional, but as constitutive of its logic.
Through the insights of scholars, historians, and activists, this module equips students with the tools to understand the Nakba as both a historical event and a structure of ongoing violence. In doing so, we challenge dominant narratives that erase or justify this catastrophe, and instead foreground Palestinian voices and experiences that refuse erasure.
Our speakers guide students through the historical roots, unfolding process, and enduring consequences of the Nakba. In 1948, Zionist paramilitary groups such as the Haganah, Irgun, and Lehi carried out systematic campaigns of terror, expulsion, and destruction. Over 750,000 Palestinians were violently uprooted from their homes and lands; over 500 villages were destroyed; countless families were fractured. What emerged was not only a refugee crisis, but the deliberate dismantling of Palestinian society, memory, and territorial continuity.
This module situates the Nakba not as a singular event of the past, but as the foundational rupture that set in motion decades of military occupation, statelessness, colonial settlement, and now, genocide in Gaza. The Nakba is a lens through which we must understand the broader architecture of Zionism and Israeli state-building—not as exceptional, but as constitutive of its logic.
Through the insights of scholars, historians, and activists, this module equips students with the tools to understand the Nakba as both a historical event and a structure of ongoing violence. In doing so, we challenge dominant narratives that erase or justify this catastrophe, and instead foreground Palestinian voices and experiences that refuse erasure.
- How does understanding the Nakba as both a historical event and an ongoing structure of violence reshape our perspective on the current situation in Palestine?
- In what ways did the events of 1948—including mass displacement, village destruction, and refugee creation—lay the groundwork for Israel’s broader settler-colonial project?
- Why is it important to center Palestinian voices and narratives when studying the Nakba, and how do dominant historical accounts work to erase or distort these perspectives?
All segments in this Composite Module are drawn from the below teach-ins. Click on the title to watch the full teach-in.
Ottoman Palestine/British MandateThe history, economy, and class formation within Palestine under both Ottoman and mandatory British Rule is examined by Sherene Seikaly within a larger geopolitical context.
The Shattering of the Ecumenical Frame in PalestinePrior to WWI, different religious groups including Christians, Jews, and Muslims all lived together in the region. How can we understand the shattering of the ecumenical frame following the destruction of the Ottoman Empire after WW1 and the establishment of the British and French mandates across the Middle East?
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Palestine Before the NakbaTo truly understand the impact of the Nakba on Palestine and Palestinians, it is important to learn understand what the situation was like before it occurred. Our speakers describe what life was like before the Nakba and how colonization took hold during that time. They discuss both Ottoman Palestine before WWI and British Mandate Palestine between the end of WWI until 1948. They also cover how Jewish migration from Europe turned into Zionist colonization.
Narratives on Immigration and Population/
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What Happened in the Nakba?The Nakba as a term encompasses a number of parallel events and processes that occurred during and around 1948. Zionist paramilitaries engaged in expulsion, massacres, and the destruction of hundreds of villages. Our experts explain what happened to Palestinians and Palestinian society during the Nakba and the events that led up to it.
The 1947 UN Partition PlanIn 1947 the UN proposed a partition plan, which created one Arab majority state and one Jewish majority state. The narrative that Arabs rejected this "compromise" has been held against Palestinians since. Yousef Munayyer describes the very serious problems with the UN Partition Plan.
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1948 War & NakbaThe events leading up to and during the 1948 War are explained in-detail by Seikaly with emphasis on subsequent events, including the on-going Nakba.
Zionist Displacement/Replacement of PalestiniansHow do we understand the process of displacement and replacement that was carefully manufactured and pushed by the Zionist movement yet shaped to appear 'natural'? Rashid Khalidi explains the ways in which the depopulation of Palestine by Zionist paramilitary forces was planned and executed.
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Gaza Before 1948Jehad Abusalim talks about Gaza before it was the Gaza "Strip." He describes the society, economy, and politics in the area when Gaza was considered to be a city and the region surrounding it.
The Nakba and GazaWith the current genocide and ethnic cleansing of Gaza, it is important to remember that two-thirds of the population of Gaza were already refugees. Nour Joudeh talks about the Nakba, the history of refugee arrival to the southern Gaza district, and the resulting social transformation.
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Gaza and the NakbaThe Nakba had a profound impact on the entire Palestinian population and drove refugees towards many different areas and countries. The Gaza Strip was particularly affected by the Nakba as it transformed with the arrival of many Palestinian refugees. In fact two-thirds of the population in Gaza are refugees from areas inside what is now considered Israel. Our speakers address how Gaza in particular was transformed by the Nakba.
Post Nakba History/1950sJehad Abu Salim talks about how Gaza became the "Gaza Strip" as we know it today and the significance of the 1950 armistice/demarcation line
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