Land Day marked in Israel

Palestinian citizens of Israel are also demonstrating today, marking Land Day, when in 1976 Israeli attempts to expropriate Arab land were met with widescale protests.

Land Day has subsequently become a cause celebre for all Palestinians, hence the March of Return’s start date.

Today Palestinian citizens of Israel are marching through Sakhnin town in the Galilee. The weather is poor, but that hasn’t stopped over 2,000 protesters from turning out, with more joining all the time.

“We feel united in all parts of Palestine, from Gaza to the Galilee,” Muneeb Tarabeh, a member of Sakhnin municipality, tells MEE. “We are rallying against all Israeli violations.”

One banner held reads: “The Golan is Syrian and doesn’t need identity” – a reference to Israeli and US attempts to legitimise Israel’s rule over the occupied territory.

To learn more about Land Day, take a look at lawyer and activist Jihad Abu Raya's new column, Land Day: A potent symbol of the Palestinian struggle.