A Palestinian policeman places a national flag in front of Israeli soldiers during clashes on land confiscated by the Israeli army to open a road for Jewish settlers. AFP
A Palestinian policeman places a national flag in front of Israeli soldiers during clashes on land confiscated by the Israeli army to open a road for Jewish settlers. AFP

1976 - Origins of Land Day

Short Url
Updated 12 May 2025
Follow

1976 - Origins of Land Day

1976 - Origins of Land Day
  • The continuing struggle by Palestinian citizens of Israel to reclaim their land

AMMAN: Land Day, observed annually on March 30, commemorates a pivotal moment in Palestinian history when, in 1976, six unarmed Palestinian citizens of Israel were killed by Israeli forces during protests against government expropriation of Arab-owned land in the Galilee. 

This event not only marked the first mass mobilization of Palestinians within Israel since 1948, it also underscored their enduring struggle over land rights and identity. 

The original Land Day protests on March 30, 1976, were triggered by the Israeli government’s plans to confiscate about 20,000 dunams (2,000 hectares) of land in the Galilee region of northern Israel. The land targeted for expropriation, in villages such as Sakhnin, Arraba and Deir Hanna, was owned predominantly by Palestinian citizens of Israel. 

This large-scale confiscation of land was part of a broader Israeli policy, “Judaization of the Galilee,” which aimed to increase the Jewish population in the region and reduce the proportion of Arab-owned land.

Land Day also reflected an unresolved historical injustice. During the Nakba in 1948, two predominantly Christian Palestinian villages in northern Israel, Iqrit and Biram, were forcibly depopulated. The Israeli army promised the residents, who had become Israeli citizens and have continued to live in Israel, that they would be able to return to their homes after a brief evacuation they said was necessary for security reasons. However, they were never allowed to return; instead, the villages were destroyed and lands expropriated by the Israeli state. 

The villagers of Iqrit and Biram, and their descendants, continue to campaign for their right to return, and the two lost villages remain enduring symbols of the broader Palestinian fight for land rights.

How we wrote it




Arab News commemorated the 75th Nakba anniversary with a front-page headline “Struggle continues.” 

The significance of Land Day extends beyond the events of 1976. The annual commemoration serves as a reminder of the deep-rooted connection between the Palestinian people and their ancestral lands, a bond that has been continually threatened by Israeli policies designed to alter the historical demographic and geographic landscapes of Palestine. 

In the years since that first Land Day, the Israeli government has continued to implement policies that result in the appropriation of Palestinian land. These actions include the expansion of settlements in the West Bank, the construction of the separation barrier, and the designation of state land in areas traditionally used by Palestinian communities.  

The response to these policies has been multifaceted, encompassing legal challenges, grassroots activism and international advocacy. 

Palestinian citizens of Israel, alongside those in the occupied territories and the diaspora, have utilized Land Day as a platform through which to highlight issues of land dispossession and call for justice and equality. The day has become a unifying event, fostering solidarity among Palestinians across geographic and political divides. 

However, the challenges remain formidable. The Israeli legal and political system often favors the interests of the state and settlers, making it difficult for Palestinians to reclaim confiscated land or to prevent further expropriations.

Key Dates

  • 1

    Israeli parliament amends Law on Property Tax, making owners of land liable for an annual tax equal to 2.5 percent of the value of the land. The intention is to impel Arab property owners to sell their land.

    Timeline Image July 1972

  • 2

    Israeli government officially announces the “Judaization of the Galilee” project to increase the Jewish population and communities in the Galilee, a region inside Israel with an Arab majority.

  • 3

    Israel orders the confiscation of 2,000 hectares of land belonging to Palestinian citizens of Israel in the Galilee.

    Timeline Image March 11, 1976

  • 4

    6 unarmed Palestinians killed and more than 100 injured by Israeli forces during protests against confiscation of Palestinian land.

    Timeline Image March 30, 1976

  • 5

    Likud government comes to power; establishment of settlements throughout the West Bank begins.

    Timeline Image May 17, 1977

  • 6

    Israel’s parliament approves controversial law to retroactively “legalize” illegal Jewish outposts built on privately owned Palestinian land.

Israeli laws have facilitated settlement expansions, provided legal protections to settlers, and enabled land appropriation, often at the expense of Palestinian rights. The Legal and Administrative Matters Law of 1970, for example, enacted after the annexation of East Jerusalem in 1967, permits Jewish individuals to reclaim properties that were owned by Jews in that area before 1948, even if Palestinians have lived there for decades since then. However, Palestinians are not granted the same right to reclaim properties they owned in West Jerusalem, or elsewhere in Israel, before the 1948 war. 

The Sheikh Jarrah evictions of 2021, a catalyst for the 11-day war between Palestinians and Israelis that year, showed how Palestinian communities remain under threat of eviction in East Jerusalem under Israeli laws. The Israeli Supreme Court ruled in favor of settlers when it decided that Palestinian families in Sheikh Jarrah could remain there only if they paid rent to settlers, effectively recognizing the settlers’ claims of ownership of properties before 1948. 

Moreover, international responses to such developments often have been limited to statements of concern, with little in the way of tangible action in an attempt to hold Israeli authorities accountable for their policies, including those related to the issues of land expropriation, illegal settlements and displacement. 

In recent years, Land Day has taken on additional layers of meaning, particularly in the context of the Great March of Return protests that began in 2018 in the Gaza Strip. These demonstrations, which called for the right of return for Palestinian refugees and an end to the blockade of Gaza, met with significant violence from Israeli forces, resulting in numerous casualties.




Palestinians march in protest against seizure of Palestinian land by Jewish settlers outside West Bank village of Asira al-Qibiliya. AFP

Furthermore, the actions of Palestinian citizens of Israel in Galilee have failed to produce a genuine reckoning within Israeli society of the historical and ongoing injustices perpetrated against those Palestinians. This includes a failure to acknowledge the systemic discrimination and dispossession that have characterized state policies, or to work toward achieving genuine equality and reconciliation. 

The events of 1976, which marked the first mass Palestinian mobilization since 1948, underscored the power of solidarity across political, religious and ideological divides. This unity has remained a cornerstone of the struggle, reinforcing the idea that only through collective efforts can discriminatory policies be effectively challenged and rights asserted. 

The lessons of Land Day also emphasize the importance of strategic and persistent resistance, locally and internationally. The global attention garnered by the protests in 1976 showcased the significance of peaceful, organized activism in amplifying the Palestinian cause. It also underscored the necessity of political mobilization to address systemic discrimination and secure equal rights. 

For Palestinians in Israel and beyond, Land Day is an occasion that encapsulates both the pain of loss and the hope for a future in which peace and justice prevails. 

  • Daoud Kuttab is a columnist for Arab News, specializing in Middle Eastern, and more specifically, Palestinian affairs. He is the author of the book “State of Palestine NOW: Practical and logical arguments for the best way to bring peace to the Middle East.” 


UN says ‘deeply troubled’ by Kenya protest killings

UN says ‘deeply troubled’ by Kenya protest killings
Updated 1 min 34 sec ago
Follow

UN says ‘deeply troubled’ by Kenya protest killings

UN says ‘deeply troubled’ by Kenya protest killings
GENEVA: The United Nations on Tuesday expressed serious concern over the deaths of at least 10 people in Kenya where police and protesters clashed during anti-government demonstrations the previous day.
The violence erupted on Saba Saba Day (meaning Seven Seven) when demonstrators annually mark the events of July 7, 1990 when Kenyans rose up to demand a return to multi-party democracy after years of autocratic rule by then-president Daniel arap Moi.
“We are deeply troubled by the killings yesterday of at least 10 people, as well as looting and destruction of property in Kenya,” UN rights office spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani told reporters in Geneva.
She said that “lethal ammunition, rubber bullets, tear gas and water cannons were used” as police responded to the protests.
She highlighted that Kenyan police had reported that at least 11 people were killed, 52 police officers injured and 567 arrests made.
The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights meanwhile reported at least 10 deaths, 29 injuries, 37 arrests and two abductions, she added.
“We have also received reports of looting and damage to public and private property by unidentified individuals in multiple locations.”
Shamdasani said the violence came “barely two weeks after 15 protesters were reportedly killed and many more injured in Nairobi and other parts of Kenya on 25 June.”
UN rights chief Volker Turk renews “his call for calm and restrain, and full respect for the freedoms of expression, association and peaceful assembly,” she said.
“It is essential that legitimate grievances at the root of these protests are addressed,” the spokeswoman said.
The UN rights office noted that Kenyan police had announced an investigation into earlier incidents.
Shamdasani stressed that “under international human rights law, intentional lethal force by law enforcement officers, including with firearms, should only be used when strictly necessary to protect life from an imminent threat.”
Turk reiterates “his call for all reported killings and other alleged violations and abuses of international human rights law, including with respect to use of force, to be promptly, thoroughly, independently and transparently investigated,” she said.
“Those responsible must be held to account.”

Acropolis shuts, outdoor work halted as heatwave scorches Greece

Acropolis shuts, outdoor work halted as heatwave scorches Greece
Updated 20 sec ago
Follow

Acropolis shuts, outdoor work halted as heatwave scorches Greece

Acropolis shuts, outdoor work halted as heatwave scorches Greece
  • To protect outdoor workers, the labor ministry has decreed a work stoppage from 12:00 to 5:00 p.m. in various parts of the country, including several islands
  • The Greek culture ministry said the world renowned site would be shut till 5:00 p.m

ATHENS: Greece’s top archaeological monument, the Acropolis, was partially shut Tuesday as part of emergency measures to protect visitors and workers around the country during a four-day heatwave.
The Greek culture ministry said the world-renowned site would be shut till 5:00 p.m. (1400 GMT) “for the safety of workers and visitors, owing to high temperatures.”
The four-day heatwave confirmed by meteorologists began Sunday is the second to grip Greece since late June.
Temperatures are expected to reach 42 Celsius (107.6 Fahrenheit) on Tuesday, with a maximum of 38 Celsius in Athens.
Similar temperatures are expected on Wednesday.
To protect outdoor workers, the labor ministry has decreed a work stoppage from 12:00 to 5:00 p.m. in various parts of the country, including several islands.
The stoppage mainly affects construction work and delivery riders.
“Days with a heatwave make my job more difficult,” cycle-riding courier Michalis Keskinidis told AFP.
“We drink a lot of water to protect ourselves from the heat, combined with electrolytes, and take breaks whenever possible,” the 43-year-old said.
The 2,500-year-old Acropolis, built on a rock overlooking the capital that offers little shade, draws tens of thousands of visitors daily.
Last year it recorded some 4.5 million visitors, an increase of over 15 percent compared to 2023.
Officials had been forced to order similar shutdowns in the past two years in heatwave conditions.

The Greek civil protection authority has warned of high fire risk in the greater Athens area, in central Greece and the Peloponnese peninsula.
Greece’s fire department has been dealing with up to 50 fires daily, the head of the Greek fire service officers’ union Constantinos Tsigkas told state TV ERT.
Elsewhere, Serbia’s hydrometeorological service RMHZ warned that weather conditions could fuel more fires, after 620 fires were recorded Monday.
But there are also thunderstorms expected in Serbia’s northern Vojvodina region, as well as in western and central areas.
RHMZ has also warned of the possibility of hail and hurricane-force gusts of wind.
Croatia has already felt the impact of storms since Monday, with several of the country’s regions affected.
Two people were injured and hospitalized in Vinkovci after a storm knocked down a power line on a family house near the eastern town, police said.
The authorities said they had taken dozens of calls over wind-related emergencies including trees blocking roads, damaged roofs and power failures.
On Tuesday, heavy rain and gale-force winds flooded roads, knocked down trees and caused power outages at the Croatian port town of Split, the state-run HRT broadcaster reported.
At the town’s port, a ferry broke its moorings and hit a catamaran and a tourist excursion boat, sinking the latter.
There was similar trouble further north, with storms raging in Hungary and Slovakia.
In Budapest, strong winds damaged roofs, felled trees onto roads and downed power lines on Monday, with the national meteorological service HungaroMet measuring winds up to 137 kilometers (85 miles) per hour locally.
Rail traffic was severely disrupted across Hungary with full restoration of services potentially requiring weeks, according to Construction and Transport Minister Janos Lazar.
In Slovakia, gale-force winds caused power outages and blew off the roof of a block of flats in the eastern town of Gelnica and fallen trees disrupted road and railway transport across the region.
The country’s weather service SHMU has issued a storm warning with heavy rain, wind and hail for Tuesday, mainly for central and eastern Slovakia.


Thousands told to stay home as Spain forest fire rages on

Thousands told to stay home as Spain forest fire rages on
Updated 2 min 8 sec ago
Follow

Thousands told to stay home as Spain forest fire rages on

Thousands told to stay home as Spain forest fire rages on
  • Forest fire stoked by fierce winds has burned more than 2,300 hectares
  • Spain has in recent days sweltered through a heatwave that parched the land and heightened the risk of forest fires

MADRID: Spanish firefighters on Tuesday were battling a forest fire stoked by fierce winds that has burned more than 2,300 hectares (5,680 acres), with authorities urging thousands of residents to stay home.

The Spanish army’s emergency response unit said it had deployed overnight near the northeastern city of Tarragona to assist local authorities.

The blaze has devoured “around 2,377 hectares of land, mostly forest,” countryside rangers in the Catalonia region wrote on X.

The protected Els Ports natural park makes up 30 percent of the affected area, they added.

Firefighters released video footage shot from a helicopter on Monday showing hills enveloped in a cloud of grey and orange smoke stretching into the distance.

Winds of up to 90 kilometers per hour (56 miles per hour) made it harder to extinguish the fire overnight, firefighters said.

The national civil protection authority urged residents in the area to close their doors and windows and stay home, saying that around 18,000 people were affected.

Scientists say human-induced climate change is increasing the intensity, length and frequency of the extreme heat that causes some forest fires.

Spain has in recent days sweltered through a heatwave that parched the land and heightened the risk of forest fires.

National weather agency AEMET said last month was Spain’s hottest June on record and that the frequency of extreme heat had tripled in the past 10 years.

According to the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS), some 500 fires destroyed 300,000 hectares in Spain in 2022, a record for the continent.

Around 21,000 hectares have burned so far this year.


South Sudan’s president fires army chief after seven months in post

South Sudan’s president fires army chief after seven months in post
Updated 20 min 20 sec ago
Follow

South Sudan’s president fires army chief after seven months in post

South Sudan’s president fires army chief after seven months in post
  • No reason was given for the firing of army chief Paul Nang Majok

NAIROBI: South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir has fired the country’s army chief after seven months in the post and named a replacement, according to an announcement on state radio.
No reason was given for the firing of Paul Nang Majok in the announcement late on Monday. Majok had been in the post since December. The announcement said Kiir had appointed Dau Aturjong as the Chief of Defense Forces.
Majok was in charge of the army while fighting raged between the army and the White Army, an ethnic militia largely comprising Nuer youths, triggering the country’s latest political crisis.
“There has been a tradition that when you are appointed, or reassigned there are no reasons (given) for getting appointed and there are no reasons given for getting relieved. It is normal,” said Lul Ruai Koang, South Sudan army spokesperson.
South Sudan has been formally at peace since a 2018 deal ended the five-year conflict responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths, but violence between rival communities flares frequently.
In March, First Vice President Riek Machar was put under house arrest, stirring fears of renewed conflict.
Information Minister Michael Makuei said the arrest was due to Machar contacting his supporters and “agitating them to rebel against the government with the aim of disrupting peace so that elections are not held and South Sudan goes back to war.”
Machar’s party has previously denied government accusations that it backs the White Army, which clashed with the army in the northeastern town of Nasir in March. In May, South Sudan’s army said it had recaptured the town from the White Army.


Kremlin says former minister’s suicide is shocking

Kremlin says former minister’s suicide is shocking
Updated 1 min 41 sec ago
Follow

Kremlin says former minister’s suicide is shocking

Kremlin says former minister’s suicide is shocking

MOSCOW: The Kremlin said on Tuesday that the suicide of former Transport Minister Roman Starovoit just hours after his dismissal by President Vladimir Putin was shocking.

Starovoit was found dead in his car outside Moscow with a gunshot wound and the principal hypothesis is that he took his own life, state investigators said on Monday, hours after Putin fired him.

A presidential decree published on Monday gave no reason for the dismissal of Starovoit after barely a year in the job.