Latest news with #PalestinianAmericans
Middle East Eye
20-05-2025
- General
- Middle East Eye
As the world looks back on 1948, Nakba descendants look to return to Palestine
For the children and grandchildren of the 750,000 people expelled from their homes in 1948 from Palestine, the Nakba, or catastrophe in English, is simultaneously a moment of the past, the violent reality of the present, and a fear of the future. The stories of their ancestors are not just a set of inherited facts or a prologue - they are a living, breathing presence that informs how they think, move, work, and exist. Thursday marked the second Nakba Day since Israel's war on Gaza began in October 2023, and the weight of this day is heavier now than ever for the Palestinian diaspora. For those who live in the US, their ancestral trauma has interwoven itself with their intense frustrations of being American. For many young Palestinian Americans, this clash has led to major life shifts - transforming their careers, relationships, priorities, and sense of self, as the goal of return to Palestine becomes the axis around which their lives now turn. Some of the Palestinians interviewed by Middle East Eye preferred only to use their first names to protect themselves from any potential consequences from employers and/or universities. 'Why should I just live in America when I can be in Palestine?' New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters For the majority of Palestinians, a 'return' to the homeland is hypothetical. But for Rebhi, 28, it is real. Both of his parents' families were displaced during the Nakba from Haifa and West Jerusalem. His paternal grandparents fled to Egypt before settling in Jordan, where the generations that followed have remained. His maternal grandparents eventually settled in Nablus, where they received Palestinian citizenship, or their "hawiya", after 1967. Rebhi's mother passed her West Bank citizenship on to her children, a right that few mothers have in the Arab world, making Rebhi one of the few "privileged" dual-citizen Palestinian Americans. 'I'm privileged as a Palestinian in the sense that I have a hawiya. I can legally exercise my right of return and genuinely be here,' he said. 'I've always kind of felt this way, but after October 7, I really felt like I needed to actually do it.' The war in Gaza erupted after the Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel on 7 October 2023. 'I have a hawiya ... I can legally exercise my right of return and genuinely be here' - Rebhi, Palestinian American Like many Palestinians, Rebhi found himself adopting the role of an educator on Palestine around his peers. But since Israel's war on Gaza, which has killed more than 53,000 people, he felt that he needed to become politically active. But even after investing more time in a nonprofit he founded with his mother before 7 October 2023, Doctors Against Genocide, he was overcome with his disillusionment in working in corporate America. 'It wasn't really like a life where I just sit around amassing wealth to donate,' he said. 'I kind of lost purpose, I guess, in the idea of just working, being a coder, giving my talents to some VC (venture capital firm) and paying half my taxes to America - contributing tangibly with my finances and my labour to the system and to the country that is playing a massive part in the destruction of my people.' Now, Rebhi owns a start-up in the occupied West Bank where he works with local coders and developers. 'Why should I just live in America when I can be in Palestine and contribute tangibly to my community? My labour can actually impact Palestinians, instead of just having some little bank be happy that I put in a shift.' Rebhi says he feels fulfilled and has an opportunity to continue the life his grandparents would've lived, were they not displaced from Palestine, and connect with the family that remained in East Jerusalem after 1948. 'Part of the reason why I wanted to come back was to reconnect our family that stayed in Khalil and make sure that we maintain our roots there so that Israel doesn't win with their goal of displacement and destruction of these roots.' It hasn't escaped him that his grandfather, whose name he carries, was displaced from Jerusalem at the same age that Rebhi is now. Rebhi went back to Palestine in December 2024. 'In the 70s, there was a displaced Rebhi who couldn't go back to Khalil. And now, there's me, Rebhi, who's in Khalil. It's a circular story, in a sense.' Now, as Rebhi watches Gaza, he feels that the level of carnage is exponentially worse than what his grandparents endured during the Nakba, which is widely considered the lowest point in Palestinian history. 'Comparing then and now almost feels disrespectful to the destruction happening in Gaza. Not that it was easy during the Nakba - of course, it was devastating. But this is a whole other level.' 'Restoring what was broken' Rana's great-grandfather, who owned a house in Lydd before he fled to present-day occupied West Bank (Supplied) Rana's great-grandparents lived in Lydd before they fled in 1948, and her extended family scattered across the occupied West Bank. This fragmentation, she says, has shaped every generation since. 'I am still figuring out what role I play in this cause, but I believe that being Palestinian is the biggest test and honour of my life,' Rana, 26, said. For her, return isn't just physical. 'It's about restoring what was broken.' 'There are family members I've never met, not because they don't exist, but because displacement turned borders into permanent barriers.' Like many Nakba survivors, Rana's grandparents often spoke of the home they left with a "sacred longing". They highlighted the lush land, the neighbours, the smells, the community, and the olive trees. 'I often think about how so much of what my ancestors endured wasn't written down or seen,' she said. 'It makes me want to witness harder, speak louder, and remember more. At the same time, I'm moved by what they protected - stories, values, traditions. Despite everything, they passed them down.' Although Rana's identity as a Palestinian was always solidified by visiting her family in the occupied West Bank throughout her childhood, she says that after Israel's war on Gaza, she is unapologetic about having it be shown now, regardless of any consequences for her career. 'I used to be more cautious about being openly Palestinian, worried about how people would react, what it might cost me professionally or socially. But I'm not scared anymore. If anything, I've never felt prouder or more certain about claiming that identity publicly and unapologetically.' 'Catastrophe' doesn't encapsulate it' Lillian Albelbaisi, 25, can recite the entire story of her grandparents' last day in Qaqun, a village near Tulkarm, in 1948. Her grandfather, Jamil, was only 13 when he fled alone to a nearby village, sustaining an injury from Israeli bombardment in the process. A piece of shrapnel remained in his leg until the day he died from cancer in 2012. Her grandmother, Niameh, fled with her mother to Tulkarm, where her father brought along with him the key to his home and a paint can. He had unfinished housework that he thought he would get back to after the Israeli military left. As Abelbaisi watches Gaza, the historical parallel is ever present. The scenes of roads filled with images of displacement, tent cities that seem to stretch for miles, and people realising that the homes they assumed they would return to do not exist anymore are too obvious to miss. But, like Rebhi, she feels that the ongoing atrocities in Gaza do not fit within the confines of her ancestors' traumas. 'There's no human definition that can define what these people have done. I do think the Nakba never ended. Everything has been a continuation of the next. But right now, I don't think we can even call it just 'Nakba'. 'Catastrophe' just doesn't encapsulate it at all.' Lillian Abelbaisi's grandfather, Jamil, centre, who fled the village of Qaqun in 1948 by foot at the age of thirteen, and her two uncles (Supplied) Something sparked in Abelbaisi once Israel's assault on the enclave began: she needed to absorb anything and everything that she could, which was produced in Palestine. She poured herself into history, into any existing footage, and, most deeply, into literature. 'I just started reading like crazy,' she said. 'We have so many themes, we have so many motifs, we have so many things that we can talk about just in Palestinian literature alone.' Her intellectual pursuits, combined with becoming more politically active in organising for Palestine in Washington DC, led her to the same realisation that pushed Rebhi to abandon all that he worked for in the US. Her job at a think tank began to make her feel 'gross'. The war on Gaza "fundamentally changed what I want in life and where I want to work. I can't work somewhere where I don't feel good about what I'm doing.' It culminated in her quitting her job and entering a role that could give her peace of mind, no matter how it affected her career trajectory. But like the rest of the descendants, her US citizenship stands in the way of fully living her life guilt-free. The Gaza war 'fundamentally changed what I want in life and where I want to work' - Lillian Abelbaisi, Palestinian American 'As a librarian, I feel a bit better,' she said. 'But I know that nothing's going to completely clear my conscience.' A return to Palestine for the diaspora is something that Abelbaisi has taught herself to work towards, but not because she wants it in her lifetime. 'In the end, it's not about me personally seeing a free Palestine, it's me ensuring that I'm helping us reach that goal,' she said. Abelbaisi says the 77-year struggle has given her solace, as it is a war of "endurance, not a battle of strength". 'And that's Israel's biggest fear – is that we're going to continue to endure. And unfortunately for them, we will endure because that's what we know best.' 'It's become all-consuming' For Nadeen, 28, a descendant of Palestinians who were expelled during Israel's brutal siege of Yaffa in April 1948, the goal of return has been an awakening. Growing up, she knew she was Palestinian and proud of it, but the trauma that followed her mother's family, who lived in tents in Gaza for a year before being exiled to Kuwait, weighed so heavily on them that it silenced the stories from being told. It wasn't until she witnessed the horror unfolding in Gaza that she realised how little she knew of the stories that gave shape to her own. Nadeen's father and his parents (Supplied) 'My family has a very, very hard time discussing difficult things. They had a hard time discussing Palestine with us. And I wish that wasn't the case.' This discomfort was passed down to her parents, who now live in Texas, where her father, who suffers from dementia, watches the graphic videos coming from Gaza every day, finding himself retraumatised over and over. Now, Nadeen is more intent on learning the details she never knew existed and mourning the ones she'll never get to know. 'There's so much lost history because it's all been consumed by so much trauma,' she said. 'I just wish we had some semblance of normalcy so I could remember my ancestors as who they truly were, and not just these people who constantly had to survive something bigger than them.' However, the identity that remained primarily in the background of her childhood has now become the lens through which she sees everything she encounters. 'As soon as this genocide started, I became super disciplined with myself and what kind of things I consume,' she said. 'What kind of things I purchase, what kind of things I engage with, who I hang out with - it was all related back to Palestine. I couldn't look at a meal without thinking about Palestine. I couldn't drink anything without thinking about Palestine. I couldn't dress myself without thinking about Palestine. It's become very all-consuming for me.' The reinforcing of her identity, Nadeen says, has strengthened her bond with her family. Both of her parents speak of their childhoods, their time in Kuwait during the First and Second Intifadas, and what they remember from the stories they would catch here and there. Similar to Rebhi and Abelbaisi, Nadeen has re-examined how her actions and labour in the US impact Palestine, both good and bad. As she helps organise protests in New York, building a community of Palestinians that she has never had before, she has become disillusioned with her job in tech. She has now set her eyes on entering a master's programme in psychology, where she hopes to focus on the traumas of immigrants and people of colour. This, she says, is an ode to her ancestors, whose trauma was never acknowledged.
Middle East Eye
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
US plans to evacuate citizens from Gaza ahead of Trump's Middle East visit, source says
The Trump administration is planning to evacuate 20 US citizens from the Gaza Strip ahead of the president's visit to the Middle East next month, Middle East Eye can reveal. The evacuation of US citizens trapped in the besieged Gaza Strip is planned to take place in the coming week and is likely to occur on or before 7 May, a source with knowledge of the matter told MEE. Approximately 20 Palestinian Americans will be evacuated from Gaza and bussed to Jordan, the source added. The evacuation of US citizens via Jordan comes as Israel ups its bombardment of the Gaza Strip, with Rafah, Gaza's southern border crossing with Egypt, shuttered. Meanwhile, ties between Egypt and the US are frayed over Trump's call earlier this year for Egypt to accept forcibly displaced Palestinians and rumblings that the White House could reduce military aid to Cairo. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters Rafah temporarily reopened during a short-lived truce in January, but was quickly closed after Israel refused to move towards phase II negotiations with Hamas on ending the war and resumed its attacks. On Friday, the UN said no humanitarian or commercial supplies had entered Gaza for more than seven weeks as all main border crossing points remain closed. The source, citing security concerns, did not tell MEE which crossing the American citizens would exit from. The plight of US citizens stuck in Gaza has stoked controversy. In December, nine plaintiffs - a combination of US citizens, permanent US residents, and Americans with immediate family trapped in Gaza - sued the former Biden administration saying it had not done enough to evacuate US citizens from Gaza amid Israel's attack. US pressured Palestinian Authority to drop investigative power from UN resolution Read More » The plaintiffs argued that the US government had violated their right to equal protection under the US constitution by failing to provide the type of 'normal and typical' evacuation services that have been extended to US citizens in other wars zones, most recently in Afghanistan and Lebanon. The State Department has not provided recent figures about how many US citizens remain in the Gaza Strip. The current evacuation will only apply to US citizens, meaning that non-US family members like spouses or children would be left behind. A US State Department spokesperson said previously that 1,800 "American-linked" people were evacuated from the Gaza Strip before Israel took control of Gaza's southern Rafah border crossing in May 2024. The evacuation of American citizens from Gaza would mark one of the first major forays by the Trump administration to address the concerns of Palestinian Americans inside Israel and the occupied Palestinian Territories. Trump's newly arrived ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, was a vocal proponent of settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank before his appointment. Huckabee said on Monday blame should be placed on Hamas, not Israel, for aid not entering the Gaza Strip. The Trump administration has strongly backed Israel's decision to return to war in the Gaza Strip. However, the raging conflict is likely to loom over Trump's visit to the Middle East next month, where he hopes to focus on an Iran nuclear deal and normalisation agreement between Israel and Saudi Arabia. The White House confirmed that Trump is slated to travel to the Middle East between 13-16 May, visiting Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE. Notably, Trump's itinerary, so far, does not include Israel.
CBS News
08-04-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Family of Palestinian American teen shot by Israeli forces in West Bank calls for justice
Family members of a Palestinian American teenager killed in the West Bank spoke out Tuesday in New Jersey. Amer Rabee, a 14-year-old United States citizen who grew up in Saddle Brook, was shot and killed Sunday by Israeli forces. His family moved to Turmus Ayya, in the central West Bank, in 2013. Amer's uncle, Rami Jbara, spoke at Clifton's Palestinian American Community Center, while Amer's father spoke virtually from the West Bank. "What was done was murder," Jbara said. "A killing of a child." "He had 11 shots. Two in his stomach, one in his leg, and two to his hand and two in his heart," father Mohammed Rabee said. Rabee described his son as a straight A eighth grader who loved being with his friends. "He got many friends here in Turmus Ayya, and everyone is crying here," he said. The Israeli military released a video allegedly showing the shooting. The Israel Defense Forces said in a statement that IDF soldiers had "identified three terrorists who hurled rocks toward the highway, thus endangering civilians driving. The soldiers opened fire towards the terrorists who were endangering civilians, eliminating one terrorist and hitting two additional terrorists." "The video is black and white. It's not clear. No one can tell me that is my son," Rabee said. "Even if he did it, you can do many different ways to stop that," Rabee said. The family says they picked out the sound of more than 40 gunshots in security camera audio of the incident, saying the two other teens injured are also Palestinian Americans. Tammy Bruce, with the State Department, said, "There is an investigation that is going on. We are aware of the reports from the IDF that this was a counterterrorism act. We need to learn more about the nature of what happened on the ground." "I would beg the Israeli authorities to be as transparent as they can be in terms of the details on how this happened," New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said. Rabee father says the one thing he and his family are praying for is peace in the region.
USA Today
08-04-2025
- Politics
- USA Today
'Tears in my eyes': Family remembers Palestinian American teen killed in the West Bank
WOODLAND PARK, N.J. — Hundreds of mourners gathered on the West Bank to pay their respects at the funeral of Amer Mohammed Saadah Rabee, a Palestinian American teenager who officials said was fatally shot by Israeli forces. Family members carried the body of Amer, 14, through the streets in Turmus Ayya, a town in the occupied West Bank, expressing grief and outrage over his killing. Amer, formerly of Saddle Brook, New Jersey, was shot and killed in the town a day earlier, while two other teenagers were wounded, Palestinian officials said. He was laid to rest on Monday. Amer's father, Mohammed Rabee, demanded U.S. action and accountability for the fatal shooting. He said in a statement that the boys had gone out to a farm area to pick green almonds. Mohammed Rabee said that he called the U.S. Embassy to try to get help for his son but later learned that he was dead. He was in shock and mourning, he said, while praising Amer as a good son and student, adding that "not a single person ever complained about him." The Israeli Defense Forces said in a statement that its troops opened fire during counterterrorism activity in the area, killing one, after identifying "three terrorists who were throwing rocks at a highway with civilian vehicles" and "who posed a danger to civilians." The State Department confirmed in an email that a U.S. citizen was killed and said the agency offers condolences to the family. "We acknowledge the IDF initial statement that expressed that this incident occurred during a counter-terrorism operation and that Israel is investigating,' the spokesperson wrote. 'There are tears in my eyes' Family and town officials announced Amer's death in social media posts and in a statement released by the Palestinian American Community Center in Clifton, New Jersey, where his uncle is a board member. The teen also went by Amir, the legal name on his passport. Amer's family members, including an uncle and two brothers who live in Wayne, New Jersey, traveled to the West Bank on Sunday for the funeral. Mahmoud Ijbara, a cousin of the teen, said Monday that his family was trying to get more information about the events surrounding the shooting. "I was looking at one of the videos, and his mom is telling him bye and kissing his forehead," Ijbara said. "There are tears in my eyes. Me, as a cousin, it's tough. Imagine his own mom. It's unwatchable." The incident resonated in New Jersey's large Palestinian community. Turmus Ayya is a popular destination and a hometown for many Palestinian Americans, who spend summers there, live there part-time, or retire there. Its mayor, Lafi Shalabi, has said Palestinian Americans with dual citizenship make up an estimated 85% of the town's population. Many families have sent their children to Turmus Ayya to live for a few years as a way to learn about culture and religion, said Ijbara, who also spent time there as a child. Amer grew up in Saddle Brook before he moved to Turmus Ayya two or three years ago, Ijbara added. Israel-Hamas conflict Violence has escalated across the West Bank in the wake of the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. More than 900 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli soldiers or settlers in the West Bank since then, according to the United Nations. About 30 Israelis were killed in the West Bank in the same period. In Turmus Ayya, residents have pleaded with U.S. officials to protect them and seek accountability for attacks in their town. The IDF said in its statement that it would continue military operations in the West Bank, which it says are rooting out militants and armed groups. "IDF forces will continue to operate defensively and offensively throughout Judea and Samaria for the security of the region's residents," the military organization said. In February 2024, the Biden administration and European countries imposed financial sanctions on Israeli settlers who have attacked Palestinians on the West Bank. President Donald Trump repealed those sanctions. The Trump administration also announced that it is moving forward with a plan to send 20,000 assault rifles to Israel, Reuters reported. The Biden administration paused the shipment over concerns that extremist Israeli settlers could use it.
The National
06-04-2025
- Politics
- The National
Palestinian-American teenager shot dead in West Bank, report says
A 14-year-old Palestinian-American boy was shot and killed by an Israeli settler on Sunday near the entrance to the village of Turmus Ayya, Reuters reported. The town's mayor, Adeeb Lafi, said that Omar Mohammad Rabea and two other teenagers had been shot in the village in the occupied West Bank. "Two of them were transported by ambulance to a nearby medical centre and then to the hospital. The army arrived at the scene and detained the third injured boy, who is 14 years old and holds US citizenship," Mr Lafi said. Turmus Ayya, located to the north of Ramallah, is home to a large community of Palestinian Americans. The National has reached out to the State Department for comment. Last June, 17-year-old Tawfic Abdel Jabbar, a US citizen, was fatally shot near the town of Al Mazraa Al Sharqiya. According to the boy's uncle, the shooting occurred during clashes with the Israeli military that included stone-throwing by Palestinians. Israeli settler violence has surged in the West Bank since Hamas militants stormed southern Israel on October 7, 2023, sparking the deadliest iteration of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict to date.
