Hosting the Nakba Tour was one of the most successful events we have organized in Columbia, Missouri. Not only were we able to attract a large crowd, but the media coverage was beyond expectation… When meeting and watching 86-year old Umm Akram, carrying the agony of her people on her shoulders while touring North America to tell her story and raise awareness about the Nakba and right of return, I saw in her a living symbol and bright example of Palestinian Sumood (Steadfastness) and endurance.

Jalal El-Jayyousi, Columbia, MO – Local Host and Event Organizer

Through their personal stories and histories, refugees Mariam Fathallah and Amena El Ashkar bear vital witness to the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians from Day One of the Israeli apartheid regime. This fight against Zionist settler-colonialism intersects with all struggles for justice, past and present, from Soweto to Standing Rock, from Ferguson to Aleppo. Jews for Palestinian Right of Return encourages people of conscience to support and promote the 2017 Nakba Tour however and wherever they can.

David Letwin, New York, NY – Co-Founder, Jews for Palestinian Right of Return

We can learn much from listening to the ladies of the Nakba Tour. They illuminated historical events and current conditions for refugees in camps in Lebanon that most people seldom hear in the US. The world needs to listen if justice and peace are to prevail. Amena El Ashkar and Mariam Fathallah courageously came forward to share their truth. They were gracious guests and we enjoyed hosting them. My only regret is that they did not have time to stay longer.

Lea Koesterer, St. Louis, MO – Local Host and Event Organizer

Amena’s presentation and translation of Umm Akram’s stories was direct, honest and heartbreaking. We as activists in the West tend to forget the Palestinians in camps in Lebanon and elsewhere because they don’t get solidarity visits by the hundreds of activists visiting Palestine every year and therefore no one organizes speaking tours for them because no one knows about them. It is vital that these past and future heirs to the land of Palestine have their voices heard.

Katie Miranda, Portland, OR – Local Host and Event Organizer

The event highlighted for me the exceptionalism of being a Palestinian refugee, unlike any other refugee, they are banned from returning to their home and unable to be absorbed in their host country of Lebanon. This event is extremely informative to fully understand what it means to be a Palestinian living in the diaspora. I highly recommend hosting and/or attending the event for all truth, justice, and knowledge seekers.

Farrah Shields, Sacramento, CA – Event Organizer