Gaza: The Museum of the Nakba

Join the National Council on Canada-Arab Relations (NCCAR) and NECEF Sabeel for a very special event in Montreal on Thursday June 4th to commemorate the Nakba (May 15) and the 9th year of the blockade of Gaza (June 24th).

The Nakba (or “Catastrophe”) refers to the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians preceding and following the Israeli Declaration of Independence in 1948. About 700,000 Palestinians are estimated to have fled or been expelled from their towns and villages that were later depopulated or destroyed. The refugees were never allowed to return home.

About the Event

This fundraising event focuses on the situation in Gaza and scrutinizes how Gaza is effectively the museum of the Nakba: it reflects the plight of Palestinian refugees since 1948 as well as the ongoing destruction of Palestinian homes, lives and society. Potential options for Israel and the Palestinians moving forward will be evaluated.

The Reverend Robert Assaly, Chair of NECEF-Sabeel (which includes Canadian Friends of Sabeel) and past Anglican Vicar of Gaza, just visited Gaza in December 2014. He will share poignant observations and challenging reflections on the harsh realities of life in Gaza.

After a buffet dinner, Peter Larson, Chair of the National Education Committee on Israel-Palestine (NECIP), a committee of NCCAR, will analyze the recent brutal attacks on Gaza by Israel with a focus on the true root causes for Israel’s perception of Gaza as a threat. He will evaluate what Israel’s options might be moving forward and the implications for the Palestinians and the international community.

NEW: We are delighted to add Dr. Tarek Loubani, a Canadian emergency physician, to our program. He will describe a fascinating project he is spearheading entitled “Empower Gaza” that will bring solar energy panels to four major Gaza hospitals to avoid blackouts and death for many patients. 

A Q&A session will follow each presentation. The presentations will be in English with Q&A in English and French.

Our Speakers

 Peter Larson

Peter Larson is the Chair of the National Education Committee on Israel-Palestine (NECIP), a committee of NCCAR. His professional background includes periods at the Public Policy Forum, the Conference Board of Canada and the French language daily “Le Droit”. He has authored or directed many studies on governance and public administration, and has worked as a consultant in Canada and internationally on projects with the Commonwealth Secretariat, and various UN agencies including the ILO and the UNDP.

In recent years, he has taken a particular interest in human rights issues in the Middle East. He has made several trips to the area, including the Palestinian occupied territories of the West Bank, Israel, Jordan and Iran.

Robert Assaly 

The Reverend Robert Assaly was ordained an Anglican priest 23 years ago in Ottawa. In 1992 he was sent to be the Director of the Middle East Council of Churches’ Jerusalem office. While there he was appointed Anglican Vicar of Gaza, returning to Canada after three years. He has been a member of the Church’s Middle East Working Group since the late-80s, and is Chair of NECEF-Sabeel (which includes Canadian Friends of Sabeel (CFOS)).

The event is organized by:

The National Council on Canada-Arab Relations (NCCAR)

Canadian Friends of Sabeel (CFOS), a project of NECEF-Sabeel Canada