The Meaning of the Palestine Nakba in 1948 and Today: From Constantine Zurayk To Salman Abu Sitta

The Nakba has been a central feature of Palestinian history until today’s genocide in Gaza. This article goes back to 1948 and presents Constantine Zurayk’s seminal book The Meaning of the Disaster, already published in 1948. It connects — and compares and contrasts — Zurayk’s 1948 seminal work with the contemporary work of Salman Abu Sitta, who in 2022 established the Palestine Lands Studies Center at the American University of Beirut as a major institution aimed at addressing issues at the heart of the Palestine Nakba. Both authors address the search for truth and hope for freedom and justice in Palestine.