Why don’t you talk about the 1967 occupation?

The occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip and the re-imposition of military rule across the Green Line is a direct continuation of Zionist depopulation policy and an integral part of the ongoing Nakba. During the 1967 war, more than 350,000 men and women were displaced from their homes, about half of whom had themselves been refugees since 1948. Israel has also deprived the 1967 refugees of rights guaranteed by international law.

In practice, the focus of the intra-Israeli political discourse on the 1967 occupation normalizes the injustices of 1948. That is, it solidifies the initial destruction, deportation, subordination, and deprivation of rights, legitimizing them in Israeli society. The military occupation of the West Bank and the siege of the Gaza Strip are more visible to the Israeli eye, while the ongoing refugeehood, expropriation, and pain are easier to ignore.

It is important to oppose the military occupation, the siege, the shelling, the arrests, the checkpoints, the disregard for human rights, the demolition of houses, the expropriation of land, and more. However, realizing the refugees’ right to return is the only way to honestly acknowledge the fundamental injustice that created the oppressive relationship between Jews and Palestinians that continues to this day. It is an essential step toward justice and healing. Actions that focus on the "1967 lines" while ignoring the rights of all refugees are devoid of good faith and therefore insufficiently address the legacy of the Nakba.