Tlaib Introduces Resolution Recognizing 78 Years of Ongoing Palestinian Nakba

Resources / Press Share on Tlaib Introduces Resolution Recognizing 78 Years of Ongoing Palestinian Nakba May 14, 2026 Press WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (MI-12) re-introduced the resolution Recognizing the Ongoing Nakba and Palestinian Refugees’ Rights. May 15, 2026, marks the 78th anniversary of the Nakba. The Nakba, which means “catastrophe” in Arabic, refers to the mass expulsion and ethnic cleansing of Palestinians from their homes and homeland during the creation of the state of Israel (1947-49). The Nakba did not end in 1948, but continues to this day as Israeli forces continue to commit genocide in Gaza and dispossess Palestinians across all of Palestine. “The Nakba never ended. Today, the Israeli apartheid regime is committing genocide in Gaza, violently erasing entire communities across the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem, and bombing Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon. It is a campaign to erase Palestinians from existence,” said Congresswoman Tlaib . “War criminal Netanyahu and his cabinet have repeatedly threatened to ethnically cleanse the entire Palestinian population in Gaza, annex the land, and permanently occupy it. Today, they are extending these same threats towards southern Lebanon. As we mark the 78th anniversary of the Nakba, we honor all of those killed since the ethnic cleansing of Palestine began and all those who have been forced from their homes and violently displaced from their land. This immense trauma, including the loss of their loved ones and connections to the communities they grew up in, needs to be repaired. True peace must be built on justice and the inalienable right of return for Palestinian refugees.” The Israeli government also continues the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians through illegal settlements and segregated communities in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, the destruction of Palestinian homes and seizure of agricultural land, the revocation of residency rights, and the denial of the internationally recognized legal right of return of millions of Palestinian refugees. The United States is an accomplice in the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians, providing endless funding and weapons. Congresswoman Tlaib’s resolution commemorates the 78th anniversary of the Nakba and promotes better education and understanding of this well-documented history. The resolution also calls on Congress to reinstate support for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), which provides live-saving humanitarian assistance to Palestinian refugees. “Thank you to Congresswoman Tlaib for her unwavering commitment to the fight for Palestinian liberation, and for representing the voices of Palestinian Americans so well through the introduction of this resolution,” said IMEU Policy Project Executive Director Margaret DeReus . “The Nakba is not just a historical event, but an ongoing horror for Palestinians—and the U.S. has been complicit for decades. This May marks 78 years of Israel’s continuous efforts to erase Palestinians from their homeland. It is the height of cruelty that while so many Americans struggle to pay for a home here in the U.S., our government sends billions to enable Israel to forcibly remove Palestinians from their homes instead.” This legislation is cosponsored by Representatives André Carson (IN-07), Jesús “Chuy” García (IL-04), Al Green (TX-09), Henry “Hank” Johnson, Jr. (GA-04), Summer Lee (PA-12), Betty McCollum (MN-04), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), Ilhan Omar (MN-05), Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), Delia Ramirez (IL-03), Lateefah Simon (CA-12), and Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12). This legislation is endorsed by IMEU Policy Project, 99 Coalition, Action Corps, Adalah Justice Project, Afghans For A Better Tomorrow, American Friends Service Committee, American Muslims for Palestine, Americans for Justice in Palestine Action (AJP Action), Arab America, Arab American Association of New York, Arab American Civic Council, Arab American Heritage Council, Arab American Institute (AAI), Arab and Muslim Ethnicities and Diasporas Studies Program at San Francisco State University, Arab Caucus of the North Carolina Democratic Party, Arab Resource & Organizing Center Action (AROC Action), Arlington for Palestine, Beyt Tikkun Synagogue, CAIR Action, CAIR-Washington, Center for Constitutional Rights, Center for Islamic Life at Rutgers University, Center for Jewish Nonviolence, CODEPINK, Community Alliance for Peace and Justice, Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), DAWN, Democratic Socialists of America, Detroit & Michigan Chapter of the National Lawyers Guild, Detroit Anti-War Committee, Disability Justice for Palestine, Doctors Against Genocide, DSA International Committee, Emgage MI, Engineers Against Apartheid, Forensic Architecture, FOSNA-Michigan, Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL), Friends of Sabeel North America (FOSNA), Gen-Z for Change, Genesee Valley Citizens for Peace, Global Ministries of the Christian C