• DOI:10.2979/ISRAELSTUDIES.18.2.86
• Corpus ID: 143785830

The Palestinian Nakba and its Continuous Repercussions

@article{Manna2013ThePN,
  title={The Palestinian Nakba and its Continuous Repercussions},
  author={Adel Manna},
  journal={Israel Studies},
  year={2013},
  volume={18},
  pages={86 - 99}
}

• A. Manna
• Published 16 March 2013
• Political Science
• Israel Studies

INTRODUCTION A number of books were published in Arabic about the meaning of the Arab colossal defeat (Nakba) in 1948 and its implications during the first decade following this eventful catastrophe. In the summer of 1948, Constantine Zurayk was the first to try and analyze the reasons behind the Nakba, followed by Musa al-‘Alami during the following year.1 However, in the years that ensued, very little was published about the meanings of the Nakba and its repercussions, either by Palestinians or by other Arab intellectuals. Then, ‘Aref al-‘Aref published his six-volume seminal work entitled Al-Nakba, Nakba of Bayt al-Maqdis or Paradise Lost.2 These books and other Arab publications during the first decade after the catastrophe were important contributions to the Arab understanding of this traumatic event and of the necessary conditions to overcome its results. However, the stream of intellectual works on this topic seemed to dry up from the late 1950’s writers turning instead to other issues such as the political changes then taking place in the Arab regimes and other current events. The next intellectual attempt to grasp the full-fledged meaning of the Nakba took place in the aftermath of the June 1967 Arab Naksa (setback). But even this attempt was again short-lived and overpowered by the obsession with military and political events in the region. Therefore, it is possible to conclude that very little was written in this period about the meaning of the Palestinian catastrophe and its long run implications.3 The scope of this article does not allow a detailed discussion of all the Nakba’s meanings and implications on the Palestinian people. What it attempts to do is to outline some of the different aspects of the Nakba, focusing on the collective dimensions. The Palestinian catastrophe and its implications intensified over time and gathered new meanings, stemming from the tragic experiences of the Palestinians in their exile. The passing of