This year marks the 60th anniversary of the Nakba, the catastrophe which saw hundreds of thousands of Palestinians forced from their homes and turned into refugees.

On 10 May the Palestine Solidarity Campaign have called a demonstration to commemorate the Nakba and calling for an end to the siege of Gaza and the right to return.

Medialens questions Jeremy Bowen, the BBC’s Middle East Editor, on the BBC’s unequal coverage of Palestinian and Israeli deaths.

The facts of the Nakba (catastrophe) are now well documented and beyond dispute. Yet Nakba denial remains widespread, and is as vile as denial of any other historic crime. Mike Marqusee reports.

As a programme of celebrations in Britain marks the 60th anniversary of the birth of the state of Israel, writes Mike Marqusee, Palestinians and their supporters will be recalling the same event in entirely different tones, and without the benefit of state support or vast sums of money. In meetings, conferences and exhibitions they will seek to remind the world of the Nakba – catastrophe in Arabic – that accompanied Israel’s birth in 1948.

“We are dealing not with the wishes of an existing community but are consciously seeking to re-constitute a new community and definitely building for a numerical majority in the future.” – Lord Balfour, 1919. A.G. Noorani traces the British role in establishing a Jewish state.

This week’s pledge of $2 billion of Palestinian aid by European countries would best be balanced by direct diplomatic activism by the Europeans, writes Rami G. Khouri.

Every now and then, particularly around Christmas, the odd commentator in the British press attempts to deny Israel’s responsibility for the demise of Bethlehem and the suffering of its residents. This year that honour falls to The Times’ Michael Gove, write Sharif Hikmat Nashashibi and Guy Gabriel.