For many Palestinians, al-Nakba not only refers to the forced expulsion from 1947 to 1949 but evokes the entire history of Palestinian displacement, which is still occurring in 2021. Forced displacement of Palestinians was occurring even during British colonization, and between 1936 and 1939, British authorities destroyed up to 5,000 Palestinian homes.

From its inception, the Zionist project has sought to create a nation through colonialism, made apparent by organizations such as the Palestine Jewish Colonization Association. And as noted by Hadar Cohen, this violence has been committed and continues to be committed in the name of Judaism, despite the fact that for many, “displacing and oppressing others is antithetical to [their] Jewishness.”

As of 2021, Palestinian people continue to fight for their right to self-determination and their right to return. Meanwhile, countries like the United States continue to provide billions of dollars of aidto Israel, effectively funding the continued forced displacement of Palestinian people. This is the tragic true story of the 1948 Palestinian displacement.