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Uri Avnery
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'This is our answer.' Fayyad
Photo: AP

Uri Avnery, MK Barakeh attend 'Land Day' rally in Qalqilya

Palestinian Authority marks 1976 Arab demonstrations against 'expropriation of millions of dunams of Palestinian land in Israel'. PM Fayyad: Those who call for intifada do not know meaning of word

Senior Palestinian Authority officials, as well as prominent Israeli left-wing activists and Arab Knesset Member Mohammad Barakeh (Hadash) took part in a rally in the West Bank town of Qalqilya on Saturday to mark "Land Day".

 

"Land Day" commemorates Arab-Israeli demonstrations in 1976, which came in response to the Israeli government's announcement of a plan to expropriate thousands of dunams of land for "security and settlement purposes".

 

Six Arab citizens were killed and about one hundred were wounded in ensuing clashes with Israeli security forces.

 

Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad spoke of what he called the "expropriation of millions of dunams of Palestinian land in Israel."

 

"Every day in which the Palestinian people hold on to their land is 'Land Day'," he said.

 

"This is our answer to those who call for a popular uprising in the West Bank," said Fayyad in a clear reference to Hamas' leadership in Gaza, which is calling for intifada in the West Bank.

 

"The Palestinian people constantly resist the occupation. The next phase is an uprising and an intifada. Those who call for an intifada now do not know what it means. This call stems from a lack of understanding of the word 'intifada' and a lack of understanding of the Palestinian nation and the character of its struggle," he said.

 

MK Barakeh and left-wing activist Uri Avnery slammed Israel's policies, saying they led to the events of 1976.

 

Barakeh urged the Palestinians to seek unity, while Avnery called for Israeli-Palestinian cooperation to advance peace. 

 


פרסום ראשון: 03.27.10, 15:48
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