Two weeks ago, I walked the streets of Haifa in Northern Israel, retracing the steps of my grandparents who were expelled from their home in 1948. I grew up hearing their stories - fragments of a life that once was. As sunlight fell over the same harbor my grandfather once described with such longing, something shifted in me. The past no longer feels distant - it is real, present, and deeply personal.

For many Palestinians like me and my family, the Nakba is not just a moment in history. It’s a lived experience and one that continues today through displacement, discrimination, and silence.

And that silence is still with us. The Nakba is rarely spoken of in Israeli society, but talking about it matters and requires a shift in mindset to simply begin the conversation. Internationally, too, the Nakba is often overlooked or misunderstood - reduced to a political talking point rather than recognised as a human tragedy that continues to shape lives today. The purpose of our ceremony is not to place blame - but to recognize our loss, to restore dignity, and to build a future rooted in truth.

Acknowledging Palestinian pain doesn’t threaten Jewish history. It makes space for shared humanity and invites us to hold multiple truths.

That’s why tonight’s Joint Nakba Remembrance Ceremony, hosted by Combatants for Peace, is so important. Our theme, “Holding onto Home, Holding onto Hope,” reflects a longing not just for land, but for justice and a future of liberation and freedom - for all who call this place home.

I urge you to join us - to listen, to sit with discomfort, and to open your heart to truths that have long been muted. Together, we can begin to imagine a future where every story is seen, every voice is honored, and no one’s history is erased.