• Israel’s illegal occupation, seizure of land continues, he says
• DOI Toshikuni, journalist and professor, delivers address

Arab News Japan

TOKYO: The Palestinian Mission to Tokyo hosted a lecture titled “75 Years after the Nakba: The Current Situation in Palestine” on Tuesday, which was delivered by DOI Toshikuni, a Japanese journalist and professor.

Doi’s work is focused on Palestine and its history, culture and current events. His portfolio includes the documentaries “Living in the Gaza Strip,” “The West Bank,” and “Breaking the Silence.” Through his films, he has shed light on the oppression faced by Palestinians, including the confiscation of their land and water resources by Israel.

Prof. Hiroyuki Suzuki, the Sultan Qaboos Chair in Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Tokyo’s Center for Middle Eastern Studies, said that Palestine continues to be under occupation 75 years after The Nakba, and its general population faces increasingly difficult circumstances, especially following the formation of the new Israeli government at the end of last year.

During the lecture, Doi provided an update on the current situation of the Palestinian people and the suffering they endure due to Israel’s apartheid-like policies.

Waleed Siam, the Palestinian ambassador to Japan, said the international community should be held accountable for helping Israel to avoid punishment for occupying Palestinian land. He pointed out that while Japanese companies invest heavily in various sectors in Israel, none of them conduct business in Palestine or the occupied territories. He contrasted the support given to Palestine with that of Ukraine.

The Nakba, meaning “Catastrophe” in Arabic, refers to the forced displacement of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from their homes and land in the aftermath of the Israeli occupation of Palestine in 1948. This resulted in the establishment of the state of Israel on Palestinian land. The displacement occurred through various methods including forced expulsions by the Israeli military, involuntary flight, and the massacre of Palestinian communities.

An estimated 700,000 to possibly over 1 million Palestinians were displaced during the Nakba. The Nakba has had significant consequences for the Middle East and still serves as the primary cause of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.