US Palestine Museum has brought the horror of the Nakba to Europe

The Palestine Museum is hosting the ‘From Palestine: Our Past, Our Future Architectural Exhibit’ in Venice, Italy, to showcase the depopulation of the indigenous Palestinian communities by Zionist paramilitary groups during the 1948 Nakba [Federico Vespignani]

The Palestine Museum is hosting the ‘From Palestine: Our Past, Our Future Architectural Exhibit’ in Venice, Italy, to showcase the depopulation of the indigenous Palestinian communities by Zionist paramilitary groups during the 1948 Nakba [Federico Vespignani]

The Palestine Museum is hosting the ‘From Palestine: Our Past, Our Future Architectural Exhibit’ in Venice, Italy, to showcase the depopulation of the indigenous Palestinian communities by Zionist paramilitary groups during the 1948 Nakba [Federico Vespignani]

The Palestine Museum US has brought the story of the Nakba to Europe, in what is billed as the boldest presentation of the ethnic cleansing and dispossession of the Palestinian people ever seen in the West. The opening ceremony featured a Palestinian oud player singing the epic song of Palestine sang by the late Egyptian singer Mohamed Abdel Wahab.

The Connecticut-based museum, founded by Palestinian American businessman Faisal Saleh in 2018, is hosting an architectural exhibition in Venice to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Palestinian Nakba. The forced depopulation of the indigenous Muslim and Christian Palestinian communities by Zionist paramilitary terrorist groups is highlighted, as well as the subsequent destruction of at least 500 Palestinian towns and villages.

"Using maps, architectural rendering, virtual reality, photographs and artwork, this project exhibits and exposes information about lost Palestinian towns and villages," explained Saleh. "It reimagines a future where descendants of the original population return to redesigned architecture, and urban planned communities, giving hope in the face of indefinite intractable odds."

Palestinian artists and architects are showcasing Palestinian resilience and determination. Paintings covering the hopes and dreams of returning to a Palestine free of racism and apartheid are also included.

READ: PM calls on UNESCO to protect archaeological, heritage sites in Palestine

"Their very existence and their artistic legacies serve to debunk myths used to justify Israel's creation," added Saleh. "Myths such as the 'land without a people for a people without a land'; 'making the deserts bloom'; and 'the old will die and the young will forget'." The latter was said by David Ben-Gurion, Israel's first Prime Minister, when he told his colleagues not to worry about the Palestinians returning to their land.

"What makes this exhibit truly unique is its animated map showcasing the timeline of Palestinian village depopulation not previously seen," the Palestine Museum founder told MEMO. Over 10 minutes, viewers can see in chronological order every village that was ethnically cleansed. "The exhibition is a major undertaking that is open to the public until 26 November. It is the boldest Palestinian presentation about the Nakba in Europe and the Western World."

Predictably, Israel's supporters from various countries objected to the Nakba exhibition. "Complaints were made to the European Cultural Centre, the organisation hosting our exhibition, but to no avail," said Saleh. "We have full freedom to exhibit, perform and screen anything we want."

The Palestine Museum is hosting the ‘From Palestine: Our Past, Our Future Architectural Exhibit’ in Venice, Italy, to showcase the depopulation of the indigenous Palestinian communities by Zionist paramilitary groups during the 1948 Nakba [Federico Vespignani]

The Palestine Museum is hosting the ‘From Palestine: Our Past, Our Future Architectural Exhibit’ in Venice, Italy, to showcase the depopulation of the indigenous Palestinian communities by Zionist paramilitary groups during the 1948 Nakba [Federico Vespignani]

The Palestine Museum is hosting the ‘From Palestine: Our Past, Our Future Architectural Exhibit’ in Venice, Italy, to showcase the depopulation of the indigenous Palestinian communities by Zionist paramilitary groups during the 1948 Nakba [Federico Vespignani]

The Palestine Museum is hosting the ‘From Palestine: Our Past, Our Future Architectural Exhibit’ in Venice, Italy, to showcase the depopulation of the indigenous Palestinian communities by Zionist paramilitary groups during the 1948 Nakba [Palestine Museum US]

READ: Palestine president issues decree criminalising denial of Nakba

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