Doha, May 14
In commemoration of the Nakba, Al Jazeera remembers lost Palestinian citiesIn memory of the 66th year of the Palestinian catastrophe (Nakba), Al Jazeera World is airing “Lost Cities of
Palestine”, an extraordinary insight into vibrant Palestinian communities before the establishment of the Israeli state
in 1948.
The program reveals, through rare archive and poignant interviews, Palestinian life pre-1948 in areas such as commerce
and trade, press and politics, as well as Palestinian music and cinema. It’s a rare opportunity to see Palestine as it
was in the 30s and 40s and learn about everyday life and the culture of urban Palestine before 1948.
The program highlights the booming citrus trade in Jaffa, the then commercial heart of Palestine, as Jaffa’s oranges
became popular in major western cities such as Berlin, London and Paris. “One day in 1939 Jaffa port had 46 ships
preparing to export fruits,” comments Fakhri Jdai.
Ultimately, however, the brutal takeover of Palestinian cities such as Jaffa and Haifa, the historical hubs of
Palestinian culture and commerce, led to the weakening of Palestinian identity. “Destroying the city meant losing the
heart of all Palestinian areas,” says writer Raef Zreik, especially as these cities emanated their values and lifestyles
to the peripheries.
Aljazeera.com will also be commemorating the Nakba with special coverage across all its platforms, including:
A feature from Palestine: “The ongoing Nakba”
Voices from Palestinian refugee camps in Jordan and Lebanon remembering the Nakba “We are the people with a disease
called hope”
An infographic: What does it mean to be under siege in Gaza?
A photo gallery on the Return March
ENDS