In Land Day march, thousands of Palestinians, Arab-Israelis protest ‘genocidal’ Gaza war

The Land Day march in Deir Hanna, on 30 March 2024

Jack Khoury reports in Haaretz on 30 March 2024:

Thousands of people took part in a march that ended with a rally in the town of Deir Hanna in the Galilee, to commemorate the 48th anniversary of Land Day – an annual event commemorating protests that broke out on March 30, 1976 against government land seizures in which six Arabs were killed by Israeli security forces.

Whereas in previous years, the Land Day demonstrations focused on opposition to Israel’s discriminatory planning and construction policies and on violence in Arab communities, this year the demonstration focused on protesting the war in the Gaza Strip.

Israeli police permitted the event on condition that no Palestinian flags would be flown, and for the first time since the Oslo Accords were signed, no such flags were hoisted at the rally.

The Higher Arab Monitoring Committee decided not to contest the police decision in court in order not to postpone the event. As an alternative, the organizers decided to write slogans against the war in the colors of the Palestinian flag.

In reply to a query by Haaretz, the police confirmed that they had prohibited the flying of flags, saying that “flying a Palestinian flag within Israel could cause unrest and lead to public disorder. The police will continue to allow the freedom of protest and to do all it can to protect the wellbeing and safety of the public.” There was no police presence at the center of the demonstration, which passed with no outstanding incidents.

As in previous years, the day began with the laying of wreathes at the graves of the people killed in the first Land Day protests, in Sakhnin, Arabeh, Taibeh and Kafr Kana, proceeding with a march and rally in Deir Hanna. Banners carried messages such as “Stop the war in Gaza,” or “Long live Land Day” and “No to crime, yes to life.”

Speaking to Haaretz, chairman of the Higher Monitoring Committee, Mohammed Barakeh, explained the choice to focus on opposition to the war in Gaza: “This was a message expressing a resolved opposition to a genocidal war conducted by Israel against the Palestinian people.”

Barakeh added that “there are no words to describe the horrors carried out by Israel in Gaza. Beyond that, the rejoicing of some segments of Israeli society over the suffering of Gazans is a mark of political, moral and human bankruptcy.” At the rally, Barakeh said that the monitoring committee intends to launch a campaign meant to provide humanitarian aid to Gaza, in coordination with state authorities.

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