The Nakba: Malta’s Role in a Ongoing Story

Tucked away in the bustling streets of Valletta, Malta’s capital city, there’s a plaque that reads: “In memory of the Palestinian Nakba, 1948.” It’s a stark reminder, a snippet of history etched into the stone of a city that’s no stranger to tales of displacement and struggle. But the story it tells is only half the picture. The Nakba, Arabic for ‘catastrophe’, didn’t begin or end in 1948. It’s a narrative that’s still unfolding today, and it’s one that Malta, with its own history of migration and conflict, can’t afford to overlook.

The Nakba is the collective term for the 1948 Palestinian exodus, when hundreds of thousands of Palestinians fled or were expelled from their homes during the 1948 Palestine war. But the roots of this tragedy run deeper, and its branches stretch further. The seeds were sown in the late 19th century with the arrival of Zionism, a political movement that advocated for the establishment of a Jewish state in Palestine. As Jewish immigration increased, so did tensions with the Arab population. The Nakba was not a sudden event, but the culmination of decades of dispossession and displacement.

In Malta, we’ve seen our fair share of mass migration and cultural shifts. From the Great Siege to the post-war influx of Italians, our islands have weathered waves of change. Yet, the scale and complexity of the Nakba, with its ongoing refugee crisis and geopolitical implications, demand a deeper understanding.

Malta’s history with the Nakba is intertwined with our colonial past. As a British colony, Malta was part of the Palestine Mandate from 1921 to 1947. During this time, the British facilitated Jewish immigration to Palestine, a policy that would later contribute to the Nakba. Today, Malta hosts the Palestinian Liaison Office, a diplomatic mission that represents the Palestinian people and their struggle for statehood.

Locally, the Nakba is remembered annually on May 15th, with events organized by the Palestinian community and their supporters. In 2019, a commemoration march ended at the plaque in Valletta, a poignant reminder of the ongoing struggle for Palestinian rights and self-determination.

The Nakba is not just a historical event; it’s a present-day reality. According to the United Nations, there are now over 5.6 million registered Palestinian refugees scattered across the Middle East and beyond. Their plight is a stark reminder of the human cost of conflict and displacement.

In Malta, we can’t change the past, but we can shape the future. We can educate ourselves and others about the complexities of the Nakba, fostering empathy and understanding. We can advocate for Palestinian rights and support initiatives that promote peace and justice. We can stand in solidarity with the Palestinian community here in Malta, and with those still seeking a just resolution to the Nakba.

As Dr. Hani Hourani, Director of the Palestinian Liaison Office in Malta, puts it, “The Nakba is not just a Palestinian issue. It’s a human issue. It’s about the right to return, the right to self-determination, the right to live in peace and dignity.”