On this delegation we’ve learned so much that’s reminiscent of George Orwell’s 1984. The most Orwellian expression is: “Present Absentees” that refers to Palestinians who fled from their homes during the peak hostilities in late 1947 and 1948 but moved only a short distance to a safer Palestinian village or town. Israel counted them as absentees who could not return to their homes, even though they remained within the border of the new state of Israel.
Read MoreWe eagerly awaited our visit to the Musrara neighborhood in East Jerusalem, as it held very special meaning for a couple of members of our group. Their families had lived there before they were forcibly removed as a result of the Nakba in 1948. Hearing authentic first-hand historical accounts of what life was like for the Palestinians who once lived there, it was heartbreaking to imagine the complete loss of home and community.
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