Palestinian Authority leader Abbas slams Israeli 'crimes' against Muslims, Christians at UN Nakba event

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas delivered an address at the United Nations' first-ever commemoration of the Nakba on Monday.

The event, held at the UN's headquarters in New York, marked the 75th year since close to 800,000 Palestinians were expelled from their homeland by Zionist militias to make way for the creation of Israel in 1948.

Palestinian activists across the world commemorated the event on Monday and reminded the world of the "ongoing Nakba".

"On top of all the crimes that continues to be committed against our people since Nakba, Israel is also violating sanctity of Christian and Muslim Holy sites and graveyards. prevents Palestinians from worshiping in Al Aqsa mosque," Abbas told delegates at the session.

He also took shot at Israel’s founding myth, which claims pre-partition Palestine was a "land without a people" prior to the expulsion of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from their cities, towns and villages.

"We built human civilisation in Palestine and our collective presence in Palestine was uninterrupted. How can Palestine be land without people?" Abbas asked.

The UN is holding two events to commemorate the Nakba, following a vote by the UN General Assembly in November on marking the tragedy's 75th anniversary.

Here’s the story of the late Suleiman Abu-Nammous, a 110yo 1948 Nakba refugee from the Palestinian Bedouin village of Al-Butayha

🎥: @Reemkhabbazy
📷 Sally Ibrahim (journalist) / Rose Chako (translator) #Nakba75 pic.twitter.com/8sVLoQdqVD

— The New Arab (@The_NewArab) May 15, 2023

Israel opposed the resolution, which was passed with 90 votes in favour, urging delegates not to attend Monday's events.

An unnamed Israeli diplomat cited by The Times of Israel said assurances had been given by 30 countries that they would not be attending. Among the countries reportedly abstaining are the US, UK, Canada, Ukraine and India.

Ahead of the commemorations, Qatar's emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, delivered a message to the UN highlighting the significance of the Nakba.

"The catastrophic effects of the Nakba continue to this day, and millions of Palestinians suffer from it, including refugees, who still cling to their right to return to their country from which they were unjustly expelled," Sheikh Tamim said.

He added that the UN's decision to mark the occasion was significant not only for "the Palestinian cause, not only for the 14 million Palestinians whose parents and grandparents lived through that tragic event, but also for all Arabs, Muslims and free people around the world".