Ayda Refugee Camp

Photo taken by Iris keltz in Ayda Refugee Camp in the Occupied West Bank. 1948 is the date of the Palestinian Nakba. Over 500 villages were destroyed, erased, bulldozed, destroyed. In Jaffa, Haifa, Acre, Ramleh, Lynda, and more Palestinian homes filled with their owners’ belongings were given to homeless Jewish immigrants. Palestinian watched their villages be taken over or buried, while new Jewish cities, kibbutz and moshavs were created for the ingathering of Jews from around the world.

The creation of the Jewish state of Israel spelled doom for the 750, 000 Palestine who became homeless and stateless refugees. It’s hard to imagine generations of people being stateless, citizens of no country. 

UN Resolution 194 (referred to in photo) was adopted in 1948. “Refugees wishing to return to their homes and live at peace with their neighbours should be permitted to do so at the earliest practicable date, and that compensation should be paid for the property of those choosing not to return and for loss of or damage to property which, under principles of international law or equity, should be made good by the Governments or authorities responsible.”