1947 - 1949: A Turning Point in Human History
In November 1947, the United Nations proposed Resolution 181, which suggested dividing the land into independent Arab and Jewish states, with Jerusalem under an international regime. While accepted by Zionist leaders, it was rejected by Arab leadership as it was seen as a violation of the rights of the indigenous majority population.
The Nakba refers to the mass displacement and dispossession of Palestinians during the 1948 war. It was not just a conflict but a fundamental transformation of the land's demographics.
On May 14, 1948, the State of Israel was officially established. Immediately after, a full-scale war erupted between Israel and a coalition of Arab states (Egypt, Jordan, Syria, and Iraq).
The war ended with ceasefire agreements. Israel controlled significantly more territory than proposed by the UN, including West Jerusalem.
Jordan took control of the West Bank and East Jerusalem, while Egypt took administrative control of the Gaza Strip.
Since 1948, the "Right of Return" has become a central symbol of the struggle. Many families still hold the physical keys to the homes they were forced to leave, passing them down through generations as a symbol of their hope and legal claim to return.