By 
The Palestinian Embassy in Zimbabwe hosted a solemn yet defiant commemoration of the 76th anniversary of Al-Nakba, bringing together diplomats, activists, students, and journalists to reflect on the ongoing Palestinian struggle against occupation and genocide.
Palestinian Ambassador Dr. Tamar Almassri recounted the origins of Palestinian displacement, highlighting how Jewish refugees fleeing European persecution were initially welcomed in Palestine, only to later become occupiers with British colonial support.
“We received them as guests escaping discrimination and torture in Europe,” he said. “But when the British occupation began in 1917, they allied with colonial powers and turned against us.”
Dr. Almassri described Israel as an “artificial colonial project” designed to serve Western interests in the Middle East. He condemned Israel’s impunity, citing its diverse population drawn from 120 countries as evidence of its “unnatural foundation.” He also highlighted the devastating impact of Israel’s actions in Gaza, including the bombing of the European Hospital and the killing of 216 journalists.
Sheikh Henry Balakazi of the Zimbabwe Palestine Solidarity Council delivered a fiery denunciation of what he called “the live-streamed genocide” in Gaza. “The Nakba did not end in 1948—it continues today in Israel’s starvation tactics, bombings, and apartheid,” he declared.
“Over 66,000 children in Gaza suffer severe malnutrition not by accident, but by Israeli design. This is not war—it is extermination.”
Balakazi called for concrete action, including trade unions cutting ties with Israel, students boycotting complicit universities, and Africans wearing the keffiyeh as “a revolutionary symbol, not a fashion statement.” “Palestine’s struggle is Africa’s struggle,” he asserted. “We who endured slavery and colonialism cannot stay silent. No one is free until all are free.”
The event closed with chants of “Free Palestine!” as attendees vowed to sustain pressure for justice. Both speakers emphasized that solidarity must move beyond symbolism, with Balakazi saying, “The time for passive mourning is over. The Nakba continues, and so must our resistance.”
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