The Speaker of the American House of Representatives, Kevin McCarthy, canceled an event commemorating the “Nakba” that was supposed to take place today (Wednesday) at the Capitol’s visitor center. In a tweet on Twitter tonight, McCarthy wrote: “This event is canceled. In his place, I will host a bipartisan debate in honor of the 75th anniversary of US-Israel relations.”
Last week, Republican McCarthy visited Jerusalem and addressed the Knesset. This was his first international visit as part of his position, and he arrived in Israel at the invitation of Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana. Upon arriving in Israel, he said that it was an honor for him to come to “celebrate Israel’s independence and once again confirm the special bond between our nations. In the next 75 years our important partnership will be even stronger than in the first 75 years.”
Behind the event planned to commemorate the Nakba, which refers to the establishment of the State of Israel as a disaster, was the congresswoman of Palestinian origin Rashida Talib. She appeared in the invitation as someone who should take a central part in it, along with representatives of organizations that support a boycott against Israel. Word of the event’s existence was first published in the Jerusalem Post.
And in the meantime, on May 15, an event commemorating the Nakba is expected to take place at the United Nations for the first time. The “UN Committee for the Realization of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People” will host the event where Abu Mazen is expected to give a speech. According to the publication, “the event will bring the Palestinian journey to life and will aim to create an immersive experience of the Nakba through live music, photos, videos and personal testimonies. This is an opportunity to emphasize that the noble goals of justice and peace require recognition of the reality and history of the plight of the Palestinian people and ensuring the fulfillment of their inalienable rights can be canceled”.
The existence of the event was initiated by the Palestinians and approved by the UN General Assembly in a vote that took place in December. 90 countries then supported the proposal, the United States, Australia and most of the European Union countries – opposed. Israel’s ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan, strongly attacked the decision at the time and said: “What would you say if the international community celebrated the founding day of your country as a disaster? What a disgrace.”
