The ‘Catastrophe’ for Palestinians
Witness History
BBC
4.4 • 1.6K Ratings
🗓️ 13 May 2024
⏱️ 10 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
In 1948, tens of thousands of Palestinians left their homes in the Middle East, never to return.
The period after World War Two in the region was tense, at times violent and politically complex.
For Israeli Jews it was finally a chance to build their own nation after the genocide of the Holocaust. But for Arab Palestinian Muslims and Christians it was a time of loss.
Some sold their land, some were evicted - many felt intimidated by the violence and changing demographics.
Rebecca Kesby speaks to Hasan Hammami who was 15-years-old when his family felt ‘pushed out’ of Palestine.
The interview was recorded before the Hamas attacks on 7 October 2023 and subsequent Israeli military operation.
(Photo: Palestinians leaving their homes in 1948. Credit: Getty Images)
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Take some time for yourself with soothing classical music from the mindful mix, |
| 0:06.0 | the Science of Happiness Podcast. |
| 0:08.0 | For the last 20 years I've dedicated my career to exploring the science of living a happier more meaningful life and I want |
| 0:14.4 | to share that science with you. |
| 0:16.1 | And just one thing, deep calm with Michael Mosley. |
| 0:19.4 | I want to help you tap in to your hidden relaxation response system and open the door to that |
| 0:25.4 | calmer place within. Listen on BBC Sounds. Hello and welcome to this witness history podcast from the BBC World Service |
| 0:39.9 | with me Rebecca Kesby we're heading for the Middle East in 1948. For Israelis |
| 0:45.7 | it was the beginning of their new longed-for homeland. For Palestinians, it meant |
| 0:50.5 | mass displacement and loss for each side events from that time still dominate politics |
| 0:57.0 | and emotions. I've been speaking to one Palestinian Hassan Hamami who was there. |
| 1:04.0 | I remember the 12th sense of, |
| 1:06.0 | we better pack up and go quickly because we'll be back within six or eight weeks. |
| 1:10.0 | The world somehow or other will not let this go on and it was never to happen. |
| 1:16.0 | We ended up that day into stateless, homeless refugees. |
| 1:24.0 | Hassan Hamami is now in his 90s. |
| 1:26.8 | He's describing the day his family left their home in Jaffa in 1948. |
| 1:31.8 | He was 15. He's one of around 750,000 Palestinians who felt pushed out as the |
| 1:38.3 | nation of Israel was established. It's a period known to Palestinians as the Nackbar or catastrophe. |
| 1:45.0 | We backed up two suitcases and we headed for the port. |
| 1:50.0 | The visible panic of whole city all moving in one direction. |
| 1:57.0 | It was scary. It's a nightmare. |
... |
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