Israel Tells UN to Strike ‘Nakba’ From Lexicon

RAMALLAH, West Bank, 17 May 2008 — Israel is demanding that the UN strike the word “Nakba” from its lexicon after an official communique released by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s bureau made specific reference to the word “Nakba.” Nakba, or catastrophe, refers to the tragic events that followed Israel’s inception in 1948.

The Israeli Radio quoted Ban’s spokeswoman as saying in a press conference that the UN secretary-general “phoned Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to stress his support for the Palestinian people on Nakba Day.”

Danny Carmon, Israel’s deputy ambassador to the UN, told the radio that the term “Nakba is a tool of Arab propaganda used to undermine the legitimacy of the establishment of the State of Israel, and it must not be part of the lexicon of the UN.”

http://www.arabnews.com/?page=4§ion=0&article=109980&d=17&m=5&y=2008

would Mr Carmon prefer to be used to undermine the legitimacy of the establishment of the State of Israel ?

always the extreme isn't it? The word does render Israel illegitimate, it is not going any where, what the word undermines is the proclaimed almost "emasculate" nobility of the establishment state of Israel.
Are you American? If so would you rather that Custer was still considered a "brave" hero? Should we change our history back to stories as to how we did something with land that was being squatted on by heathen savages?

Nkaba meaning the day of catastrophe when the land belonging occupied by the Palestinians was simply taken away from them as a result of what started with the Balfour Treaty. If that wasn't a catastrophe then I don't know what defines catastrophe.

No I'm English and consider Custer to be a war criminal.

I was attacking the situation : not defending it.

"undermining" the legitimacy.

“Nakba is a tool of Arab propaganda used to undermine the legitimacy of the establishment of the State of Israel, and it must not be part of the lexicon of the UN.”

All that I asked was in the absense of that particular word what was the alternative ? As other replies below mention - if a word is not allowed to be used then what other words may also not be allowed for the same reason.

The Israelis are attempting to make it a politically incorrect word and they're unlikely to get away with it
having no foundation to do so.

its maps.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trail_of_Tears

Not to mention the U.N. designed their map to include two states: Israel and Palestine. How does Israel expect the non-Israeli residents of that territory to describe the history from their point of view.

It's an example of something i was reading about which was that in this conflict there's a resistance to acknowledging that the other 'side' has suffered at all, as if there's any acknowledgement that somehow takes away the title of The Biggest Victims. This sort of stuff really pisses me off. It's so childish and nasty...

These Bushian mind-games are indicative of a fundamental emptiness of policy.

Not a good sign.

If you mean the end of Israel, that just isn't going to happen.

FWIW, I do think it's rather silly for them to be so obsessed over the use of a word. Especially when you consider other aspects of UN attitudes to Israel that are rather more worrying.

not unless people are pushing for a major war.

I am also curious as to what "the beginning of the end of" means.

I was struck by what Philip Weiss wrote:

Last week I blogged about Commentary's piece denying the Nakba, which was underwritten by the chairman of the New-York Historical Society-- a landmark of Nakba denial, published in what was once a glory of Jewish intellectual tradition: Commentary, the magazine I grew up with, stacks of it, my parents didn't throw it away. The article demonstrates how fealty to Israel is eroding Jewish intelligence, as it has forced some of the smartest people on the planet to devote themselves to alchemy, coming up with elaborate proofs that black is white.

http://www.philipweiss.org/mondoweiss/2008/05/jaffa-1948-and.html#more

I found it pretty striking...

the "other" side can have no voice, that is not controlled.

Source: ArabNews

RAMALLAH, West Bank, 17 May 2008 — Israel is demanding that the UN strike the word “Nakba” from its lexicon after an official communique released by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s bureau made specific reference to the word “Nakba.” Nakba, or catastrophe, refers to the tragic events that followed Israel’s inception in 1948.

Danny Carmon, Israel’s deputy ambassador to the UN, told the radio that the term “Nakba is a tool of Arab propaganda used to undermine the legitimacy of the establishment of the State of Israel, and it must not be part of the lexicon of the UN.”

According to the daily Yediot Ahronot, the UN said the word had not been used by any of the world body’s institutions or officials before, and it is estimated that it was purposely ‘planted’ by someone into the spokeswoman’s text. Yediot said that Ban has been supportive of Israel since taking office in 2006, but has recently been pressed by the Arab world to adopt a more balanced approach.

Read more: http://www.arabnews.com/?page=4§ion=0&article=109980&d=17&m=5&y=2008

---

Seems like "Nakba" describes the situation perfectly from all perspectives. Seems like a catastrophe to me. Straight up case of censorship.

:eyes:

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It is some underhanded political tactic to say that there were negative consequences for the arab communities caused by the establishment of Israel?

The establishment of Israel screwed over a lot of the people who had been living in the region for generations. It would be like if Mexico suddenly rolled into California and said because it used to belong to them, every american who lives there now has to leave their homes and their land and move somewhere else.

There would be problems.... and you can't erase those problems by banning the words that describe them.

Seems that certain members of the Israeli gov't have developed an exaggerated sense of their own importance.

... if those responsible for their suffering, demanded the word describing their suffering be banned from use in the UN?

. . as well as most Dems, as well as both Dem candidates for president seem to disagree with you. Avoid the DU echo chamber effect - don't just echo the echos.

I stand by my statement, it is one I made long before I ever heard of DU.

. . your view nor was I questioning how long you had it. I was just offering some perspective that can be missed due to the echo.

promoted here and not one that wants words banned, as far as the Dem candidates they and the GOP counterparts are stumping for PAC money.

At the very least this time you saw the wisdom in not derided libels and leftists

. . sometimes I have no idea what you're trying to say. But I'll keep trying.

for The Chosen have spoken.

Teasing me, like that...

Now I'll never know what I missed.

But I always miss out on the good s**t, anyway.

The word that describes the negative effects of the establishment of Israel should be fired down the memory hole?

It's a tool of propaganda to say Israel is anything short of perfect?

snip........

The popularity of the narrative of the "nakba" has greater implications for Israel than just a nationalist slogan or a bid for supremacy in the war of public relations. It leads Palestinians and their advocates in a direction away from responsibility for building a nation and toward illusion and blame, twin illnesses which have haunted the Palestinians for decades.

Today there is real hope for a different result. Today, Israel's 60-year hope for peace is being heard by Palestinian and Arab leaders. Today, leaders of the Palestinians like President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Salaam Fayad are trying to pursue a path toward realizing the Palestinian dream of a state, while the forces of Hamas hold the Palestinian people's aspirations hostage to the false and destructive promise embodied in the concept of "nakba." Today there are pragmatic leaders in the Arab world who went to Annapolis and let the Arab League openly talk about normalizing relations with Israel.

Instead of looking backward and remaining anchored in the failed vision of a "nakba," the world should join with Israel and the elected leadership of the Palestinian Authority to bring a new vision of success and good fortune for the future of the Palestinians.

http://cgis.jpost.com/Blogs/foxman/entry/playing_the_nakba_card_posted

Israels move just turned in to a win for the Palestinians, by demanding that UN deny that the Palestinians suffered any loss at the hands of the Israeli's they have made their desperation to censor and control every aspect of the debate crystal clear, anyone unaware of the "war of words" will not be anymore. Israel would have been better to say nothing, it would have passed quietly now it will get attention.

Not to mention that the next time Israel complains about Holocaust Denial the deniers have a weapon.

Palestinians/Arabs lose since they totally ignore the fact that THEY launched a premptive genocidal war against the fledgling state. This denial has fueled a fantasy that one day they will destroy Israel; that this is their destiny.

and most Palestinians do not believe that Israel will be destroyed, beyond that both the charter s of Hamas and Fatah still read very simiarly on the subject of Israel

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Blogs/Message.aspx/2051

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/124315

http://www.iris.org.il/plochart.htm

There was also a Wiki link stating the same, however that link was heavily edited on May 12, 2008, as have been many links on the subject of Israel/Palestine starting on May 7 2008, what a surprise

important what the average Palestinian believes when Hamas has the helm, the firepower and the support of other enemies of Israel who routinely predict the destruction of that state.

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Just like it's important what average Israelis believe. It's looking like Nutty will be the next Israeli PM, so will you be going 'As you well should know it's not really all that important what the average Israeli believes when Nutty has the helm, the firepower and wants the West Bank and Gaza to be part of Israel.'?

On yr repeated claims that the war of 1948 was genocidal. It's irksome when that big shiny *g* word is dragged into discussion of the I/P conflict, and just like i've taken people to task who claim that Israel has a genocidal policy towards the Palestinians, I'm going to take you to task for doing the mirror image. Trying to conquer land is not genocidal, and while the arab states were incredibly disorganised and lacked any unity, the general aims seem to have swung from taking as much territory from the nascent Jewish state to grabbing territory from the area alloted for the Palestinian state by the time the invasion happened. If jordan was being genocidal, Abdullah would not have had a meeting with Golda Meir where she responded favourably to his idea of Jordan taking over the Arab part of Palestine...

which will be spoken of like the Mongolian massacres and the Crusades".

Arab League Secretary-General Azzam Pasha May 15, 1947

easily find many such quotes far more recent too.
With Bibi in charge it could all come to a boiling point fast.

Or else there's more than a few quotes that would support an argument that what Israel is doing to the Palestinians could be described as genocide. I think all 'Sezu' has shown is an inability to read and address what's said to them, and ignorance of the causes and events of the 1948 war....

The 1948 war was certainly an attempted ethnic cleansing on the Arab side - and a much more intensive one than any Israeli counterpart, taking into account the differences in territory taken. Every Jewish community in those ares the Arab forces managed to conquer was destroyed. As in most cases the Yishuv managed to get the inhabitants and defenders out before the end, whether the Arab forces would have descended to actual genocide or would have settled for ethnic cleansing cannot really be determined (the latter is more likely in general, IMO, though there would certainly have been multiple massacres, as the fate of Gush Etzion's defenders shows).

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can suppress the truth.

Today in Philly, there was a terrific presence at the big Israel birthday bash. Right in the middle of the parade hundreds of black balloons were released, and there was a strong presence reminding the revelers of the price paid so that American Jews can have their "just in case" place...

Every parent there had to explain to their children who those people dressed in black were and what they were mourning.

Occupation is a crime. No slick PR move can deny what happened in 1948, or can deny what is happening on an ongoing basis.

in fact i find it rather pathetic..be it denying the Palestenians their "nagba" or claiming there is genocide, starving apartheid going on...its all one and the same....a war of words which in fact does have its affect.....an effect that keeps peace further apart.

i can only speak as an israeli/jew...when i read the claims about "starvation in gaza, blockade (and no mention of egypts part), genocide....my reaction is one and the same:

nothing has really changed since the time of my parents, grandparents etc....dont want to call it "anti semetism?...fine call it "progressive" anti israel, anti "no justice", whatever.

it comes down to the same thing: claims against the jewish state (run by jews, jewish character) that infact are simply not true: a modern, more sophisticated version of the blood libel.

talk to me factually about the occupation, its ills, problems and affects and i'll relax....keep up with the genocidal israelis, apartheid, claims of massacres, starvation and general "evilness of israel....and i get reminded why i still go to the reserves.