Friday, May 15, 2026, marks the 78th Anniversary of the Nakba.

We are asking UU congregations across the United States to bear witness by recognizing Nakba Day during service on May 10th or 17th.

“The Nakba, which means “catastrophe” in Arabic, refers to the mass displacement and dispossession of Palestinians during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war. Before the Nakba, Palestine was a multi-ethnic and multi-cultural society. However, the conflict between Arabs and Jews intensified in the 1930s with the increase of Jewish immigration, driven by persecution in Europe, and with the Zionist movement aiming to establish a Jewish state in Palestine.” Between 700,000 and 800,000 Palestinians were forcibly removed or fled from their cities and villages during the Nakba. Hundreds of towns and villages were destroyed by Israeli forces. Displaced Palestinians were never allowed to return.

The General Assembly of the United Nations first recognized Nakba Day in 2023. In 2024, the UUA General Assembly affirmed our “Solidarity with Palestinians” in an Action of Immediate Witness. Forced removal is a war crime, a denial of human rights. Today, as our US tax dollars support the continued killing and forced removal of Palestinians in Palestine—and their oppression by apartheid laws and systems in Israel and the occupied territories—UUs affirm the values of Pluralism, Interdependence, Generosity, Equity, Transformation, and Justice. We are bound by love to bring these values into the world, and make them a reality. 

You can find a version of the statement above that can be read from the pulpit during service, an appeal letter for your Minister or Worship Committee, and a flier to hand out after service on the Resource page of our website under "Worship Resources."

If you are planning an event to commemorate the Nakba, or incorporating into a service, please let us know by sending an email to [email protected]