Silenced Voices and Censored Narratives Narratives: Palestine’s Narrative Within Israel
The level of brutality exhibited by Israel, both in the past and present, surpasses even that of Nazism
Once, there was a place called Tantura, now called DOR, nestled between Tel Aviv and Haifa. It was a stunning spot, just as delightful as the beautiful beaches in Greece, Cyprus, or Sicily. Imagine soft sands, lovely coral reefs, and lush greenery all around. There was even a museum and some really old archaeological sites dating back to the Bronze Age. The houses there were unique, giving you the feeling they were plucked right out of Florida and placed there.
Around this area, you’ll find plenty of resources offering different services and facilities. There’s a modern resort named Nahsholim nearby. Interestingly, just a short distance away stands a small building that looks quite different from its surroundings. It’s an old Arabic-style house, a unique sight in the middle of all the modern Western-style buildings, creating a bit of an intriguing contrast in the heart of this vibrant area.
Back in 1991, there was a plan to build a diving center close to a house in the area. Excitement buzzed as workers arrived with equipment, ready to start drilling. But their excitement turned to surprise when they stumbled upon human bones just beneath the surface. It was a shocking find, leading them to immediately stop the work, fill the site back in, and abruptly leave, never to return.
This unexpected turn of events caught the attention of Fouad Hasadiyeh, a fisherman from the nearby Al-Faradis village. Curious about the sudden project halt, Fouad approached the person in charge. The project manager explained that they had discovered old bones dating back to Napoleon’s time. However, Fouad, knowing the local history well, disagreed firmly, saying, “No, these bones are from Palestinians who lost their lives in 1948 and were buried here.”
His father and grandfather told him about a terrible event — a massacre carried out by Israeli soldiers in their hometown. They explained how the victims were buried in mass graves, one of which lay beneath the Nahsholim resort’s parking lot. All of this happened long before the resort existed when the place was just a peaceful Palestinian fishing village called Tantura.
Tantura used to be a small Palestinian village located south of Haifa. Around 1,500 Palestinians lived there, relying on fishing and farming. It was a calm, small, and incredibly beautiful village.
However, after the Nakba (the catastrophe of 1948), silence veiled Tantura’s history for nearly 50 years.
In Israel, very little was said about Tantura except that it was a village where a “battle” occurred during the war of independence between “Israelis” and “Arabs,” ending with the Israelis’ victory. The displaced Arabs sought refuge in the nearby village of Al-Faradis before settlers established Kibbutz Nahsholim in that area.
In 1998, Teddy Katz, a student at the University of Haifa, conducted groundbreaking research for his master’s thesis. Katz delved deep into history by conversing with veterans from the Alexandroni Brigade, the military force responsible for entering Tantura on May 22, 1948.
Through their testimonies, Katz unearthed a disturbing truth: the so-called “battle” at Tantura wasn’t a fair fight.
The villagers, lacking proper weaponry and combat experience, attempted resistance but quickly succumbed. Their surrender, tragically, marked the onset of a horrifying massacre.
During the night of May 22 and into the morning of the 23rd, Israeli soldiers stormed into Tantura.
They forcibly separated men and women, plundering valuables from women before expelling them from the village. These displaced women found themselves wandering in uncertainty, with nowhere to call home.
Meanwhile, the soldiers herded the men including boys as young as 13 included — Yes Kids were always a target for them — to the shore near the distinctively styled Arabic house. There, amid an ominous scene, the ruthless executions commenced. Katz gathered bone-chilling testimonies from soldiers detailing the gruesome events.
Everything was shown combined in a movie called” Tantoura” by an Israeli director named Alon Schwarz.
Absolutely, here it is:
Some soldiers shared horrifying details of what happened during the massacre. One soldier described how they placed people in barrels, remembering the chilling sight of blood inside. Another soldier, who later became a prominent figure in the defense ministry, callously shot hostages one by one on the beach. Then there was Amitzur Cohen, who shockingly admitted to being a murderer, proudly claiming he didn’t take prisoners. He casually mentioned using a machine gun with 250 bullets to end lives, laughing as he mentioned losing count of how many he killed.
These were the killers’ own accounts, trying to make their actions seem less severe. But even after this attempt to downplay the horrors, the victims’ stories were even more harrowing. You can find the full and more distressing accounts in the sources provided.
Most of the survivors who managed to escape the killers became refugees, seeking safety in camps. Some fled to Syria, while others still live today in the village of Al-Faradis. They were forced to move to a village just a few kilometers away from their original homes, where their families were tragically killed and buried. It’s heartbreaking — they don’t even know the exact places where their loved ones were laid to rest.
In May 2023, a search agency called “Forensic Architecture” released findings from an investigation seeking answers to a haunting question: where were the victims buried? They used aerial photographs of Tantura from 1946 to 1949, comparing them with recent maps and satellite images. Additionally, they created 3D models of the changes that occurred and gathered testimonies from survivors of the massacre. Their report accurately pinpointed the locations of mass graves.
Shockingly, they identified the two largest graves — one near the old village cemeteries and the other beneath the parking lot of a beach and resort.
Today, if you search these places online, the first things you’ll encounter are hotel bookings and recreational activities. This is despite the disturbing fact that these areas were built over execution sites and mass graves. It’s as though Tantoura serves as a symbolic representation of Israel — a thin layer of “Western urbanization” disguising the evidence of killings, ethnic cleansing, and genocide lying just beneath.
Remarkably, all this information comes from Israeli sources, not Western ones. It’s important to highlight these Israeli voices that dared to uncover the truth about the Nakba, despite facing severe repercussions.
Surprisingly, these individuals who sought truth and justice faced punitive measures. This unfortunate reality highlights the challenges faced by those attempting to uncover the painful past within the Middle East’s sole democracy.
- Teddy Kitz, who interviewed soldiers about the massacre, faced a defamation case filed by war criminals. His master’s thesis was removed from the university library, and he was pressured to retract his findings, resulting in the destruction of his academic career.
- Eyal Weizman, who founded Forensic Architecture, faced a lighter penalty — his books were banned in Israel. His works explained how settlements were built to oppress and remove Palestinians. These incidents aren’t isolated; many who tried to speak about the Nakba in Israel faced silencing.
- In 2011, the Knesset passed the “Nakba law” allowing the government to cut funding for any institution discussing the Nakba. This led to the suppression of books, articles, and films. The aim was to protect a narrative that Israel strongly upholds, especially if the speaker is Jewish but not a Zionist.
Critics, often labeled “self-hating Jews,” face humiliation. Ilan Pappé, known for his book “10 Myths about Israel,” was expelled from a university due to his views, which will be discussed in an upcoming article.
Watch ‘The Story of Palestine’ translated in English below and educate yourself. Remember, staying silent is being complicit in the crime. Reach out, educate, and stand in solidarity.
Sources:
Tantura movie by the Israeli director named Alon Schwarz : https://www.imdb.com/title/tt16378034/?ref_=nm_flmg_t_1_dr
https://forensic-architecture.org/investigation/executions-and-mass-graves-in-tantura-23-may-1948/
