Skip to main content

Lessons From Land Day

According to Clovis Maksoud, Land Day should remind leaders and the Arab Summit to stress Palestinians' human rights and unity.
Israeli Arab demonstrators carry a huge Palestinian flag during a demonstration marking Land Day in the northern town of Sakhnin March 30, 2013. Land Day is the annual commemoration of protests in 1976 against Israel's appropriation of Arab-owned land in Galilee. REUTERS/Ammar Awad (ISRAEL - Tags: CIVIL UNREST ANNIVERSARY) - RTXY307

On March 30, 1976, thousands of Palestinians in Arab towns across Israel took to the streets to protest the government's decision to expropriate 14,000 acres of privately owned lands. Six Palestinians died in the general strike that followed; hundreds were wounded and arrested.

Every March 30 since, Land Day has commemorated those people, and in remembrance that this was done to Israeli citizens of Arab origin, in a clear expression of institutional discrimination, which remains until now in what is described as Israel’s “democracy.” Yet, the expropriation has continued since then in many forms.

Access the Middle East news and analysis you can trust

Join our community of Middle East readers to experience all of Al-Monitor, including 24/7 news, analyses, memos, reports and newsletters.

Subscribe

Only $100 per year.