Recognizing the ongoing Nakba and Palestinian refugees' rights.
H. Res. 409 is a House resolution that states the sense of Congress regarding the Nakba and the rights of Palestinian refugees. Introduced by Rep. Tlaib and several cosponsors, the resolution calls for official recognition and remembrance of the Nakba, denounces what it terms the ongoing Nakba, and endorses multiple steps consistent with supporting Palestinian refugees. It affirms rights asserted under UN General Assembly Resolution 194 and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), endorses continued humanitarian support via UNRWA, and demands that the United States end its complicity in actions it characterizes as displacing Palestinians. The resolution is a non-binding expression of policy and messaging rather than a statute or appropriation. The language is strongly critical of Israeli policies viewed as dispossessing Palestinians, including settlement expansion and the treatment of Palestinians in the occupied territories, and it calls for education about the Nakba, a reframing of US diplomacy, and a shift in arms and diplomatic support to avoid facilitating dispossession. While it sets forth a set of policy intentions, as a resolution it does not by itself create enforceable legal obligations.
Key Points
- 1Official recognition and commemoration: The resolution asserts that May 15, 2025, and the broader Nakba should be officially recognized and remembered, framing the Nakba as an ongoing process rather than a historical event alone.
- 2Rights of Palestinian refugees and international law: It reiterates support for Palestinian refugees’ rights under UN General Assembly Resolution 194 and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), and endorses continuing implementation of those rights, including the right of return and related protections.
- 3Support for UNRWA: It endorses resumed social services and support for Palestinian refugees through the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).
- 4Education and public understanding: It calls for increased education and public understanding of the Nakba, including the United States’ role in humanitarian relief and how the Nakba relates to modern refugee crises.
- 5End to US complicity (weapons and diplomacy): It urges an end to US weapons being used to destroy Palestinian homes or forcibly remove Palestinians, and calls for ending US diplomatic support for such actions.
- 6Recognition of Palestinians as a people and rejection of bigotry: The resolution emphasizes Palestinians are a unique and fully human people and rejects efforts to deny their existence or humanity.