Land Day: Arab MK threatens ‘another intifada’
Arab Israelis mark 30th Land day with mass protest in Lod against government’s demolition of Arab houses; MK Zahalka: If Israel’s discriminatory policies don’t change, there will be an intifada here
Israeli Arabs celebrated the 30th annual Land Day on Thursday. Some 1,200 people participated in a protest in Lod, among them Arab Knesset members and spiritual leaders.
The demonstration was in protest of “Israeli policy to demolish Arab houses in Lod and Ramla, and expropriating Arab lands under false pretenses.” The protestors were angered that some 1,800 Lod homes are slated for demolition.
A woman who participated in the protest march, Nasreen Mazrawi from Haifa, who belongs to the Palestinian Forum for Environmental Justice, said: “This is a fight for environmental justice in Lod. The whole issue of razing buildings and the population’s inability to build in their own towns are environmental injustice. The country has acted against the Arabs for years, and it’s time to fix the situation.”
Hundreds marched through the town carrying Palestinian Authority banners and posters and calling out slogans charging that Arabs in Israel are mistreated and calling for Arab unity. Large police forces secured the march, but made sure not to be seen on the path of the protest. One incident occurred during the protest when a city councilman, Yossi Haroush of the National Religious Party, arrived at the scene with some adolescent female settlers and asked to address the crowd. Fearing provocation, police detained him and the teens for questioning.
‘We are here to strengthen the population’
MK Ahmed Tibi (United Arab List-Ta’al) said, “Our solution is that whatever they destroy, they should rebuild anew. We are calling on people to live in Lod. “
Tibi (center) with Arab-Israeli leaders during march (Photo: Eli Elgarat)
MK Jamal Zahalka (Balad) said that Lod has whole neighborhoods destined for destruction. “In Lod the situation in the worst, so it is symbolic that we chose this city to hold Land Day’s chief protest. We are here to strengthen the population and protest Israel’s treatment of its Arab citizens. The government needs to understand that if its policies don’t change, there will be an intifada here,” Zahalka said.
Land Day was marked elsewhere in Israel as well. Roughly one thousand Sachnin residents marched from the city’s central square to a monument memorializing those killed on the first Land day 30 years ago. Participants laid flowers on the memorial.
In east Jerusalem, dozens of Palestinian youths threw stones at police officers who tried to prevent them from holding an unregistered Land Day protest there. Large police forces were stationed in east Jerusalem since the morning to prevent provocations from either side – Jewish or Arab.
