Around a thousand people, including Palestinians and their supporters, gathered in Tokyo yesterday to mark 76 years since the Nakba, when Palestinians were displaced to make way for the establishment of the Israeli occupation state.
The event, occurred amidst the US-backed Israeli military’s brutal war against Gaza, which has resulted in over 35,000 Palestinian deaths following the 7 October Hamas-led resistance operation.
The Nakba, meaning “catastrophe” in Arabic, refers to the 1948 expulsion of approximately 700,000 Palestinians from their homes. Nakba Day is observed on 15 May, the day after Israel’s “Independence Day.”
According to Kyodo News, in Tokyo’s Shinjuku area, demonstrators displayed signs in Japanese and English calling for Palestinian liberation and a ceasefire in Gaza. Many carried keys, symbolising the homes they were forced to leave in Historic Palestine. “The memory of our homeland, and the right to return, live on in us,” Hanin Siam, a 27-year-old Gaza-born resident in Japan was quoted as saying. “The young still remember, the young still resist.”
A 32-year-old Japanese participant noted that his involvement in pro-Palestine protests increased after learning more about the conflict online. “I came to take photos to post on social media and hope they provide a learning opportunity for people who weren’t interested before,” he said.
The protests coincide with Israel’s intensified military operations in Rafah, southern Gaza. The US, Israel’s primary ally, has halted some weapons supplies to Israel, opposing a full-scale invasion of Rafah due to the worsening humanitarian crisis. However, President Joe Biden’s administration has informed Congress of plans to send $1 billion in new arms to Israel, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Japan’s position on the conflict has largely mirrored that of the US, despite growing pro-Palestinian sentiment in the country. Last week, Japan supported a UN General Assembly resolution advocating for full Palestinian membership in the UN, a stance opposed by the US and Israel.
