Cork city to celebrate history and heritage of Palestine this weekend

Cobh comedian Maeve Higgins will this weekend host a number of events in Cork to mark the anniversary of the Nakba.

The Nakba occurred in 1948, when around 750,000 people, about half of Palestine's population, were expelled from their homes first by Zionist paramilitaries, and - after the establishment of the state of Israel - by the Israeli Defence Forces.

This Sunday, the South Parish Community Centre will be the venue for an afternoon celebrating the history, humour, and heritage of Palestine.

At 3pm, Hiba Awaysa and Maria Kesheria of Yalla Craic will demonstrate will teach their new board game ‘Roots and Resilience’, while there will be treats and prizes on offer, including cake and Palestinian Cola.

At 5.30pm, Abdelfattah Abusrour from Alrowwad Cultural and Arts Society in Bethlehem will discuss the ways that art can help restore faith in humanity.

Ms Higgins, a long-time supporter of the people of Palestine, said the afternoon in the South Parish Centre promised to be a very uplifting and thought-provoking event.

“I find it so moving that Abdelfattah has made the long journey from Bethlehem to Cork to share his insights and experiences of keeping Palestinian culture alive and thriving in the West Bank - especially now when the Israeli forces are trying everything to crush the spirit of the people there,” 

she said.

“Ireland and Palestine share a history and I’ve learned that even in dark times, we share a sense of community and fun too. So I’m really looking forward to everyone getting together on Sunday to build on those bonds.” At lunchtime on Saturday, the weekly Cork Palestine Solidarity Campaign rally, will take place on the Grand Parade.

The streets of Cork city have seen CPSC rallies every Saturday since the latest iteration of the Israel Gaza war erupted on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-backed insurgents murdered some 1,200 Israelis and kidnapped 250 hostages.

Since then, the death toll caused by Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) attacks on Gaza has now passed 77,800, according to the Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry (GHM).