Palestinians refuse to be forgotten

Seventy-eight years have passed since May 15, 1948: 78 years since the Nakba, 78 years of injustice, 78 years of violence, 78 years of displacement. Yet they are still here. The Palestinians have endured and will prevail. It has been said that “the old will die and the young will forget,” in the hope that the concept of Palestinian refugees and the idea of Palestine would fall into oblivion. This is wrong. The young have not forgotten and the Palestinian issue is alive and kicking.
Today, Palestine is no longer only an issue for the Palestinians — it is an issue for the entirety of humanity. For my generation, it was an Arab issue and people of my age advocated for Palestine because of their Arabism. The advocates of Palestine were mainly Arabs. For the new generation, Palestine is beyond nationalism: it is about justice. My children advocate for Palestine. For them, advocating for Palestine is advocating for justice. The issue of Palestine has transcended Arabism and reached the level of humanism.
The resilience of the Palestinian people is exemplary. Their resilience has inspired today’s youth. Israeli “hasbara” (propaganda) has worked tirelessly for 78 years to portray Palestinians as terrorists. Despite bouts of success, they failed. Today, the entire world sees Palestinians for what they truly are: a people that refuse to die, refuse to surrender and refuse to be forgotten.
I was talking the other day to a German friend of mine. He told me that the time he spent in Gaza changed his entire outlook on life. It made him see everything from a new perspective. In his role with a nongovernmental organization, he was dispatched to Gaza and was overwhelmed by the people’s resilience, strength, faith and their ability to have hope against all odds. People like that will never forget or be forgotten.

The resilience of the Palestinian people is exemplary. Their resilience has inspired today’s youth.

Dr. Dania Koleilat Khatib

Israel hoped that, because of the Nakba, the Palestinians would emigrate, spread around the world and, ultimately, become fully assimilated and embrace a new identity. This is what was meant by “the young will forget.” However, this was not the case. The Palestinians have a strong collective consciousness, meaning they know they exist as a people. Time and displacement have not eroded the Palestinians’ sense of peoplehood. Look at the Hadid sisters — despite their success and all the Hollywood and catwalk glitz of their lives, they are still proud Palestinians.
Then came the genocide in Gaza. Gaza came to remind the world that Palestine cannot be forgotten. Today, Palestine is reshaping the regional architecture and probably the global balance of power. Today, we see rapprochement between countries that were previously foes, or at least competitors. Directly or indirectly, Palestine has been the trigger.
One clear example is the Egyptian-Turkish rapprochement. The two countries had a strained relationship 10 years ago. What brought them together was the centrality of the Palestine issue to their national policies. Both countries’ support for Palestine has raised the ire of Israel. Egypt resisted all Israeli pressure to drive Gazans into Sinai. Egypt knows very well that if the Gazans were to leave, Israel would not allow them back. Hence, it strongly resisted the idea of displacement, despite the pressure that reached the level of blackmail. Turkiye — despite its trade relationship with Israel — also chose to side with Palestine. This drove Cairo and Ankara to come together.
Algeria is another example that shows the centrality of the Palestine issue. Though it is far from the Levant and faces no threat of emigration or of direct contact with Israel, President Abdelmadjid Tebboune said in 2024 that he was ready to send his army if Gaza’s borders were opened.
The most important position is that of Saudi Arabia. Despite all the pressure and all the promised strategic, economic and technological perks it might get in return for normalizing relations with Israel, it stood firm and took an assertive position: no normalization or recognition of Israel without a Palestinian state.
Israel should understand that the issue of Palestine remains central to all Arab and Muslim countries. Moreover, it has today become a central issue on a global level. Politicians running for election must declare their position on Gaza to convince voters to choose them. The Palestinian people, through their resilience, struggle and strength, have earned this recognition on the world stage. Israel cannot take it away from them.
Those in Israel who think that the issue of Palestine will one day just go away and they will be able to live happily and freely in Palestinians’ homes in Jerusalem, Haifa and Yafa should think again. The Palestinians are a people who refuse to die, to surrender or be forgotten and this is why Palestine will remain a central issue not only for the Arab world but for all humanity.

• Dr. Dania Koleilat Khatib is a specialist in US-Arab relations with a focus on lobbying. She is co-founder of the Research Center for Cooperation and Peace Building, a Lebanese nongovernmental organization focused on Track II.