Israel's founding – with calls for right of return
Naji Farah was a Palestinian teenager living near
Haifa in 1948 when his world was turned upside down
by the creation of the state of Israel.
"Part of my family were refugees," the writer and former
educator said yesterday. "My older brother had gone away
to university and he was not allowed back. It was traumatic."
The 60th anniversary of the creation of Israel is also the
60th anniversary of what Palestinians call al-Naqba –
the catastrophe – marked yesterday with a peaceful rally
by about 400 plus people at Queen's Park.
Farah told what it was like to live through al-Naqba as he
called for improved rights for Palestinians.
Representatives from unions, student groups and
social-justice organizations joined with Canadian Palestinian
leaders in calling for the right of Palestinian refugees to
return to the land they lost when the country of Israel was created.
This right to return has been supported numerous times by
the United Nations, said Farid Ayad, president of Palestine House.
"Let the Palestinians live in their homeland with Jews,
Christians and Muslims," he said. "Canada is the best
model, we live in harmony. Let's apply that to Palestinians
who want to live in harmony."
Speakers supported economic pressure, including boycotts,
to push Israel on the issue.
There was a heavy police presence, including a mounted unit,
at the rally. A handful of Jewish protesters were kept behind
a barricade at the northern corner of the Legislature entrance.
which began at 1 p.m. and concluded with a march to Ryerson
University and a fair celebrating Palestinian culture.
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