Thousands of Israeli Arab citizens and left-wing Jews took part in a Nakba Day protest rally in the Galil region on Tuesday, 6 Iyar 5773. They decried the expulsion of Arabs from their homes as a result of the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948.

The participants waved PLO and Syrian flags and when organizers called upon them to put the Syrian flags away, most refused to comply. They explained the location upon which the event was held was an Arab village in the past and the Galil area land is “occupied by Israel” today.

Some 400 PA (Palestinian Authority) residents held a march in the Abu Dis area as well as the confronted Israeli security forces. One border policeman was injured lightly in the violence. There was also a noticeable increase in rock-throwing attacks north of Hebron, in the Halhul Bridge area, injuring a number of passengers in passing vehicles. A number of private vehicles and buses had their windows smashed in those rock attacks. There were also reports of rock attacks in other areas of Yehuda and Shomron. B’chasdei Hashem there were no serious injuries reported.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)