Palestinians to plant thousands of trees on the 45th anniversary of Land Day
Palestinians are due to commemorate Land Day tomorrow, marking the 45th anniversary of clashes in 1976 in which six unarmed Palestinians were shot dead and hundreds wounded, and hundreds jailed during protests while demonstrating against the confiscation by Israel of 21.000 dunums (5.000 acres) of land from families living in Sakhnin and Arrabba.
Although Land Day is one of the most important anniversaries in the Palestinian calendar, sometimes referred to as the Palestinians’ national day, the historical event it marks is little spoken of and rarely studied.
“Maybe its significance is surprising given the magnitude of other events in Palestinian history,” said Hatim Kanaaneh, 71, a doctor, who witnessed the military invasion of his village.
“But what makes Land Day resonate with Palestinians everywhere is that it was the first time Palestinians inside Israel stood together and successfully resisted Israel’s goal of confiscating their land.”
The confrontation took place between the Israeli occupation forces and Palestinians who managed to remain in their homes during the 1948 war that led to the founding of the Israel entity.
Land confiscation has been part of Israel’s policy before 1948, and has continued to this day in the occupied Palestinian territories.
Coordinator of the Popular Committee for Resisting Settlemt Salah Al-Khouja said that several activities have been launched in the West Bank and Gaza Strip to plant thousands of trees in the areas which Israeli occupation forces threatened to confiscate.
“”All Land is Palestine” campaign has been launched via social media and media reports are promoted to document the crimes of the Israeli occupation forces against Palestinians to mobilize international support for the Palestinian cause,” he added.
For his part, Member of the politburo of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) Mariam Abo Daqqa said that the Land Day represent Palestinian people’s adherence to their land.
She called on human rights organizations and freedom fighters worldwide to support the Palestinian national rights, and to condemn the Israeli measures of land annexation as illegal under international law.
Basma Qaddour