On the 76th anniversary of the Palestinian Nakba, the Palestinian Return Centre (PRC) hosted an online panel discussion titled “Gaza as the Second Nakba,” featuring Dr. Maha Nassar, an Associate Professor of Modern Middle Eastern History at the University of Arizona and a prominent scholar on Palestinian identity and resistance.

The event, held as part of the PRC’s Nakba commemoration activities, offered a sobering yet empowering analysis of how the current Israeli war on Gaza represents not only a humanitarian catastrophe but also a continuation of the Nakba that began in 1948.

In her remarks, Dr. Nassar emphasized the centrality of "sumud"—the Arabic term for steadfastness—in understanding the ongoing Palestinian struggle. “Typically, when we talk about sumud in the Palestinian context, it’s usually about staying on the land,” she explained. “But it’s much more than that.”

She traced the concept of “sumud” back to the early days of Palestinian resistance against British colonial rule and Zionist settler-colonial expansion.

While widely associated with Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza refusing to abandon their homes under occupation, Dr. Nassar stressed that sumud also encompasses a global Palestinian experience—including those living in forced exile across the diaspora.

“Sumud is not just about remaining physically rooted,” she said. “It also lives in the hearts and minds of Palestinians who carry the memory of their villages, their histories, and their rights with them wherever they are.”

Dr. Nassar identified four overlapping spheres of sumud: personal (psychological endurance), collective (community-building under oppressive regimes), civic (organizing and activism), and international (linking Palestinian liberation to global justice movements).

Addressing the current devastation in Gaza, Dr. Nassar drew parallels between Israel’s ongoing assault and the original Nakba. The forcible evacuation of Palestinians from their land—whether through bombardment, siege, or starvation—is a core aspect of the 1948 Nakba and this ongoing Nakba, she noted.

According to Dr. Nassar, central to both the 1948 Nakba and the ongoing Nakba unfolding in Gaza today is the systematic denial of the Palestinian right of return — a right that is not only morally imperative but also firmly established in international law, including UN General Assembly Resolution 194, which affirms that refugees wishing to return to their homes and live at peace with their neighbors should be permitted to do so.

She said that despite its legal clarity and the persistent demands of Palestinian refugees, Israel has consistently refused to implement the right of return, opting instead for policies of exclusion, resettlement pressure, and permanent displacement.

Dr. Nassar added that the denial of return is not a historical footnote — it remains a deliberate and ongoing violation at the core of Israel’s settler-colonial project and a major obstacle to any just and lasting peace.

She pointed to repeated attempts by international powers to resettle Palestinian refugees in neighboring countries in order to sever their ties to their homeland—a strategy that, she argued, has categorically failed. “Despite 76 years of displacement, refugees continue to affirm their deep-rooted connection to their original homes. They know where they come from. They insist on return.”

Dr. Nassar also highlighted the intergenerational dimension of sumud, explaining how older generations pass down the memory of Palestine and the struggle for justice to younger generations. It’s not only oral history; Teaching children about their homeland, their history, their rights—that too is sumud.

The panel also touched on the shifting global discourse around Palestine. Dr. Nassar observed a growing international solidarity movement and waning public support for Israel, particularly among younger demographics and progressive movements. “The stranglehold that pro-Israel narratives have long had on U.S. political parties—both Democratic and Republican—is beginning to crack,” she said.

In her view, there’s a growing awareness, especially among anti-imperialist and decolonial circles in the U.S., that what is happening in Gaza today is part of a much longer history of colonialism, militarism, and racialized oppression.

The discussion concluded with a call to action: to recognize the Palestinian Nakba not as a singular past event, but as a continuing process of dispossession—and to support the enduring Palestinian struggle for return, justice, and liberation.

Watch the full panel discussion here: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ulqN2H3zbI4