Israeli Deputy Ambassador to Norway George Deek is a Christian Arab has called on disbanding the notion of the Nakba, or “Catastrophe,” as many Arab nations refer to Israel’s establishment in 1948.

Israeli Deputy Ambassador to Norway George Deek – Photo: George Deek

Deek, the son of refugees from Jaffa, has lectured throughout Europe on his family’s history, and has called on others who left or were deported from Jaffa after 1948 to let go of the Nakba concept.

“When I walk through my birthplace, Jaffa, I think about the fishermen’s beach in 1948, about my house in Ajami [neighborhood] and the stories I heard about those years,” Deek said in a lecture uploaded recently to YouTube.

“My grandfather George, after whom I was named, lived in Jaffa with his family for 400 years. He married Vera, my grandmother, and a few months later their plans changed. The United Nations recognized Israel and a few months later the State of Israel was formed. The Arab leaders warned that anyone who stays will be murdered by the Jews and they suggested running away. They said that armies of five Arab nations would destroy Israel and we would be able to return to our homes.

“The war ended with an Arab failure. [They] did not succeed in destroying Israel. Since 1948, there have been numerous occasions, including now, of refugees being kicked out of their homes.”

Deek questioned why the displacement in Israel is the only one to be called the Nakba.

“Why are Poles, Iraqis and others not mentioned by the international community and the U.N., but the Nakba is? To me it seems the Nakba has been transformed from a humanitarian issue to a political one, to perpetuate the current situation as leverage against Israel. It is time to put the hatred and alienation behind us.”

View original Israel Hayom publication at: http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_article.php?id=20639