COMMEMORATION OF THE PALESTINIAN NAKBA
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:Laila Al-Qatami, American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) | 202-244-2990
John Salzberg, Washington Interfaith Alliance for Middle East Peace (WIAMEP) | 202-258-0569
WASHINGTON, DC COMMEMORATION OF THE PALESTINIAN NAKBA
Washington D.C. | May 14, 2008 | www.adc.org | A coalition of interfaith and peace organizations is sponsoring a solemn commemoration on the National Mall on May 17 from 2-4 p.m., to mark the 60th anniversary of the expulsion of 750,000 Palestinians from their homes and lands, and the destruction of over 400 of their villages, to make way for the state of Israel.
WHAT: Washington Commemoration of the Palestinian Nakba
WHEN: Saturday, May 17
WHERE: U.S. Capitol, at Jefferson Drive and 3rd St, SW
HOW: Open to the public
This 1948 massive forced exile from historic Palestine is referred to in Arabic as the Nakba, “Catastrophe.” More than 4.5 million Palestinian refugees still live in exile, many in deteriorating refugee camps, prevented by Israel from exercising their right to return to land their families owned for generations.
The Washington, D.C. Nakba commemoration is one of many taking place around the United States, organized by Americans who cannot recognize the 60th anniversary of Israel’s creation without acknowledging its impact on the Palestinian people.
The May 17 event, being held west of the reflecting pool in view of the U.S. Capitol, at Jefferson Drive and 3rd St, SW, will include remarks by Nakba survivors and their children, and the reading of the names of Palestinian villages that were destroyed or overrun. A large map of the area traced on the ground will pinpoint the villages that were lost to Israel. A Palestinian-crafted quilt composed of squares with the names of some villages, will also be displayed.
The Washington, D.C. Nakba commemoration, to which all members of Congress and representatives of the diplomatic community have been invited, is open to the media. It is being sponsored by the Washington Interfaith Alliance for Middle East Peace (WIAMEP), the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC, Sharing Jerusalem, the American-Palestinian Women’s Association (APWA), and the Vineeta Foundation.
###
NOTE TO EDITORS: The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC), which is non sectarian and non partisan, is the largest Arab-American civil rights organization in the United States. It was founded in 1980, by former Senator James Abourezk to protect the civil rights of people of Arab descent in the United States and to promote the cultural heritage of the Arabs. ADC has 38 chapters nationwide with chapters in every major city in the country, and members in all 50 states.
The ADC Research Institute (ADC-RI), which was founded in 1981, is a Section 501(c)(3) educational organization that sponsors a wide range of programs on behalf of Arab Americans and of importance to all Americans. ADC-RI programs include: research studies, seminars, conferences and publications that document and analyze the discrimination faced by Arab Americans in the workplace, schools, media, and governmental agencies and institutions. ADC-RI also celebrates the rich cultural heritage of the Arabs.
ADC Press Release: Israeli Minister Says Palestinians Bringing Holocaust Upon Themselves
ADC Press Release:Israeli Minister Says Palestinians Bringing Holocaust Upon Themselves
Washington, DC | February 29, 2008 | www.adc.org | The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) strongly condemns the deplorable comments made by Israeli Deputy Defense Minister Matan Vilnai. Speaking on Israel's army radio yesterday, Vilnai said: "They (the Palestinians) will bring upon themselves a bigger holocaust because we will use all our might to defend ourselves." ADC calls on the US and Israeli governments to take immediate action and publicly condemn, reject, and repudiate the Holocaust comment made by Israeli Deputy Defense Minister Matan Vilnai.
Vilnai's comments were reported in numerous international media sources, see below: Israeli Deputy Defense Minister Matan Vilnai's comments