H.Res.1289 - Recognizing the ongoing Nakba and Palestinian Refugees’ Rights.
H.Res.1289, was introduced on May 14th, 2026 by Representative Rashida Tlaib. It is currently pending before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
Bill Summary: H. Res. 1289 is a non-binding House resolution introduced by Representative Rashida Tlaib that formally recognizes the ongoing “Nakba,” referring to the displacement of Palestinians during the creation of the state of Israel in 1948, and the continuation of Palestinian displacement and humanitarian conditions today. The resolution calls for recognition of Palestinian refugee rights, references conditions in Gaza and the occupied Palestinian territories, and urges the United States to uphold human rights and international law in its foreign policy approach toward Israel and Palestine.
Context: H. Res. 1289 lays out an extensive account of the ongoing violent displacement of Palestinians, while also highlighting the systemic, political, and military structures that have enabled continued harm to Palestinian security and self-determination since 1948. The Nakba, which translates directly to “the catastrophe,” is a term developed by Palestinians in an attempt to depict the onset of major displacement from their land in 1947 & 1948, following the creation of the state of Israel - displacing hundreds of thousands of Palestinians, and slaughtering tens of thousands more.
H.Res. 1289 is intended to acknowledge the narrative that the Nakba is not a singular historical event confined to the 1940s, but an ongoing process tied to the continued displacement, dispossession, and instability experienced by Palestinians. This resolution argues that Palestinians continue to face conditions that undermine their safety, cultural continuity, and connection to land inhabited by generations of Palestinian communities. It also acknowledges the Palestinian right to equality and human existence equal to any community.
By creating more visibility of the ongoing nature of Israels violent behavior towards the Palestinins, this bill works to support a larger conversation confirming the ongoing human right abuses, crimes against humanity, and genocide that has pervasively existed. H.Res. 1289 accurately depicts that Palestinians are facing an “on-going catastrophe,” rather than inaccurately depicting a centuries worth of treatment by the Israeli government towards Palestinians, as a single-event. While recognizing that American weapons and American unconditional support for Israel have enabled the ongoing Nakba.
American Values Analysis: H.Res. 1289 aligns with American leadership in human rights that have been a foundational pillar in the international system. It acknowledges the gross violations of human rights that have been, and are currently being inflicted upon the Palestinian people are unacceptable in American policy while acknowledging that the same Palestinian people have the right to exist as other peoples.
American Interest Analysis: H.Res. 1286 aligns with America’s interests by acknowledging the past and present suffering of Palestinians during the Nakba, allowing the United States to take a more neutral role in advancing peace. It also more directly recognizes Israel’s role in the continued violence and displacement of Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza, contributing to what many describe as the ongoing genocide of the Palestinian people.
A New Policy’s Recommendation: Supports
A New Policy supports H.Res. 1289 as it provides support for the framing of the Palestinian experience that accurately reflects the lived experience of Palestinians for almost a century. While expressing a sense of the House of Representatives that American weapons should not be used to fuel the ongoing Nakba against the Palestinian people.
For more information please contact: Josh Paul, (202) 770-0055, info@anewpolicy.org
