Palestinians mourn 1948 uprooting

Palestinians will mark the 60th anniversary of their displacement today, in an annual ritual of mourning turned even darker this year because of crippling internal divisions, diminishing independence hopes.

In stark contrast to Israel’s all-out birthday bash, West Bank rallies, sirens and the launch of thousands of black balloons will commemorate the uprooting of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians during the 1948 war over the Jewish state’s creation.