POSTWAR: A Global History of the Second World War's Legacy

Like much of the study of history, a study of colonialism in Africa in the postwar period is incredibly complicated. Over the years, we have been given many different, and yet predominantly monolithic, lenses with which to view this phenomenon. … Continue reading →

The history of the Nakba, the “catastrophe,” is a painful memory for Palestinians and a difficult confrontation for Israelis. It is also at the center of the debate of the right of return for Palestinians, who wish to go back to the lands of their ancestors who lived there prior to the founding of theContinue reading “The Struggle”

Return to Haifa is a novella by writer and political activist Ghassan Kanafani who was assassinated by Mossad in 1972. The story was written in 1969 in the aftermath of the 1967 June War (or Six Day War), in which … Continue reading →

Drora Harehuveni, Haganah Dispatch Driver, 1948.  The Haganah (Hebrew for “defense”) was the precursor to the state of Israel’s armed forces.  It was a private Zionist military organization founded in 1920 and active until 1948, comprised of Jewish men and women (Britannica).  Its purpose was to defend Jewish settlers in the British Mandate for Palestine, …

Continue reading “Postcolonial Displacements: Dominoes in History”

The topic of Displaced Persons (DP) so far throughout this class has been a consistently notable one. Looking at simply those people who had their land destroyed living in Europe, or those Jewish people looking to escape persecution along with the Zionist approach, there are a wide variety of perspectives that have been previously consideredContinue reading “The Alternative Angle”

Ghassan Kanafani begins his story with a couple returning to the city of Haifa after 20 years. Without much description or setting, it is clear based on their dialog that the couple are displaced people returning to Haifa, Israel after a war had taken place between the Jews and the local Arabs. This story is …

Continue reading “Palestinian Refugees”

Earlier this semester, we spent a lot of time talking about the displaced persons created in the wake of World War II. They were often unable to physically return to their homes, and lost their cultures and communities to the destruction caused. In Lila Abu-Lughod’s article Return to Half Ruins, she talks about how many …

Continue reading “What They Lost: Palestinians after Israel”

Palestine was drastically changed due to the increase of displaced persons and the creation of Israel. The betrayal and distrust that stemmed from this era is still prevalent in the region today. On both the Israeli and Palestinian sides of the Israel debate are feelings of betrayal as well as entitlement to a home and …

Continue reading “Returning Home?”

The period of time during and after World War II called for mass migrations and movements of people all over the world.  These forced migrations of thousands of people created a system of narratives and differing opinions forming about the reasons for said movements.  The relocation of people in and out of Palestine in the …

Continue reading “WHAT IS A HOMELAND?”

There is a reason primary sources are key to creating historical narratives. Firsthand accounts and individual testimonies create a more personal narrative then objectively stating the facts. The same event can impact people differently which is what Returning to Haifa and Nakba show … Continue reading →