Dallas Public Library Head: ‘Nakba’ Event Was Not Approved; ‘it Will Not Take Place’

A forthcoming exhibition about the nakba, the Palestinian name for the catastrophe of modern-day Israel's establishment as a state in 1948, was not approved by a library, according to the director of the Dallas public library system. Photo via JNS

The head of the Dallas public library system is denying that a library green-lit an upcoming exhibition about the nakba, the term Palestinians use to refer to the “catastrophe” of modern-day Israel’s establishment as a state in 1948.

 But links on the website of the J. Erik Jonsson Central Library, the system’s main library branch, show that it hosted a nakba event last year by the same group.

Head of Dallas Public Library: ‘Nakba’ event was not approved; ‘it is not going to take place’. Screenshot from the website of the Dallas public J. Erik Jonsson Central Library, which still lists a “Nakba” event it hosted in 2022.  Screenshot via JNS

 “The exhibit was not approved, and the organization posted the announcement without our knowledge. It will not take place,” Jo Giudice, director of the Dallas Public Library, told Zenger News of the 2023 iteration. 

From May 20 until Aug. 30, the Palestinian Youth Movement still claims on Facebook that it will host the exhibit, “75 Years of Resistance. 75 Years of Glory” at the central library branch. Israel celebrated its Independence Day (Yom Ha’atzmaut) on April 26, the date on the Jewish calendar, and Americans plan to celebrate on May 14, 75 years after the declaration of the nation.

 “This exhibit honors the courage and steadfastness of the Palestinian people in their resistance to Zionist oppression and colonization dating back to the 1948 catastrophe known as the ‘Nakba,’ ” it noted. Facebook listing for a 2023 exhibit about the “Nakba” that the Palestinian Youth Movement says it will host at a Dallas public library. 

“We will feature work from Palestinian artists in the North Texas region that explore themes of resistance and struggle, while also paying homage to our martyrs and political prisoners,” the group added. Last year, the same youth group held a May 28 Palestinian art exhibit titled “The Ongoing Nakba,” which is still listed on the central library’s website. 

“Join us for a day of art, history, and food as we showcase Palestinian history, literature, and art while commemorating 74 years of the Nakba,” per the listing. A Facebook announcement for the 2022 event remains on the Palestinian Youth Movement Facebook page. 

Asked about the 2022 event, Giudice did not immediately respond to a Zenger News query. Last year, seven members of the Palestinian Youth Movement were arrested for blocking the entrance to the Israeli embassy in Washington. 

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