I have put in a request to have Nakba Day recognized as a protocol item under Council Recognition in May this year.

At the beginning of City Council Meetings, Formal protocol recognition items are provided. This is a chance to recognize important organizations and moments affecting members of our community and their families. For example Mayor Sohi recognized the Ukrainian Famine and Genocide (Holodomor) Memorial Day in November and Mayor Knack recognized International Holocaust Remembrance Day (Jan 27, 2026).

Nakba Day is commemorated annually on May 15. It marks the beginning of the destruction of the Palestinian homeland, and the mass displacement in 1948 of the majority of the Palestinian population. Nakba means ‘catastrophe’ in Arabic and is the word used by Palestinians and others to refer to this historic moment.

78% of Palestine’s historic territory was captured and used to establish what is now Israel. The remaining land was divided into today’s Occupied Palestinian Territory – the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip. 

There are now more than 6 million Palestine refugees worldwide, according to the United Nations (UN). Edmonton is home to a large and diverse Palestinian community that has put down roots, enriching Alberta in countless ways.

We are calling on international governments to protect Palestinians’ right to stay on their land and live in safety and dignity. While protocol items are a small symbolic gesture, they are also a chance to educate and animate the broader community.

For more information about Nakba Day, please visit the Canadian Museum for Human Rights online resources: Palestine Uprooted: Nakba Past and Present.

You can also join the Canadian Palestinian Cultural Association to mark November 29th as a day of solidarity with Palestinians. This is more important than ever as Israel’s genocide and ethnic cleansing continue.

Why is it important to show the same solidarity with the Palestinians as City Council has shown for others under attack around the globe?

Like many Edmontonians, I’ve been horrified by the genocide in Palestine and the numerous well documented war crimes committed by the state of Israel. Our compassion must not have boundaries or borders.

In July, the United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory shared a shocking new report about the serious physical and psychological harm by the Israeli security forces.  Since the 7th of October 2023, this has resulted in the death of at least 20,179 and injury of 44,143 children. 

Every person should read these horrific findings. I will continue to share these reports on my social media.

These are not statistics. These are humans. For many Edmontonians, these are family members and relatives. Every human being should be outraged by these horrors and call for justice and long overdue action by the global community against the perpetrators of these crimes.

Citations:

1. Excerpt: United Nations Report

https://www.un.org/unispal/document/coi-report-23jun26/

352. As an occupying power, Israel is legally bound to ensure the protection, care and survival of Palestinian children. However, through the nature, scale and extent of Israel’s military operations in Gaza, the Israeli government and security forces have deliberately carried out acts inflicting death and severe bodily and mental harm on hundreds of thousands of Palestinian children, irreparably destroying the sanctity of childhood, including family ties, identity, innocence, safety and future.”

1. Childhood mortality during Gaza genocide in 2024 (Scandinavian Journal of Public Health)

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/epub/10.1177/14034948251389044

For 2024, official reported child deaths rank Gaza 18th globally despite Gaza’s being less than 1% of global population; medium and high estimates rank it 15th and 10th, respectively. The estimated 41.74 (med) and 104.36 (high) deaths per 1,000 population position Gaza genocide as the leading cause of child mortality worldwide. Conclusions: Genocide-related child deaths in Gaza represent one of the leading global causes of childhood mortality but remain excluded from international surveillance frameworks. Recognizing and coding genocide as a preventable cause of death is critical for accountability, accurate health metrics, and urgent humanitarian response.