Thousands of Palestinian citizens of Israel participated in a rally and “March of Return” yesterday to commemorate the Nakba, chanting “Your ‘independence’ day is our Nakba” as Israel marked its 66th Independence Day. With flags raised high, singing the Palestinian national anthem, reportedly between 10,000 to 15,000 participants (including non-Palestinian supporters) marched to Lubya, a Palestinian village in the district of Tiberias that was ethnically cleansed and turned to rubble during the Nakba. Marchers called for unity and the right of return for Palestinian refugees.
Some marchers took to Twitter documenting the event:
Keep the flag up & say it LOUD #FreePalestine
#MarchOfReturn Right now #Lubya pic.twitter.com/nxekiKRB3b #Lubya #لوبية #Palestine #FreePalestine
— Palestine AnonMiss (@PalestinianMiss) May 6, 2014
#Lubya #MarchOfReturn Palestinian national anthem and hundreds of Palestinian flags waving. Beautiful.
— Diana Buttu (@dianabuttu) May 6, 2014
On the road to Lubya marchers passed an exhibition of photography by Mohammad Badarneh.
On the road to #Lubya photo exhibition by Mohammad Badarne on refugees and return. pic.twitter.com/zDyS5V1fl6
— Abir Kopty (@AbirKopty) May 6, 2014
We will return a photo in #Lubya #MarchOfReturn @MahmoodJrere pic.twitter.com/ZUZvbxdZRO
— Tweet_Palestine (@Tweet_Palestine) May 6, 2014
We will be back ..SOON
#Nakba #MarchOfReturn #Lubya #Palestine #النكبة pic.twitter.com/7zghuNUVsl
— Palestine AnonMiss (@PalestinianMiss) May 6, 2014
#Lubya #MarchOfReturn chanting for unity and against attempts to recruit to Israel army
— Diana Buttu (@dianabuttu) May 6, 2014
Proud of our youth #MarchofReturn #nakbaday pic.twitter.com/RIOu89K9gy
— Manar Yaqub (@ManarYaq) May 6, 2014
AFP reports Israeli FM Lieberman slammed Palestinian citizens of Israel as a “fifth column” over the Nakba protest:
“Those who marched with flags of the Palestinian Authority demanding that it not give up on the right of return, are a fifth column whose aim is the destruction of Israel,” he told army radio.
…He also addressed the demonstration on his Facebook page on Tuesday.
“To those Arabs that took part today in the ‘Nakba Day’ procession and waved Palestinian flags, I suggest that next time they march directly to Ramallah and they stay there,” he wrote.
Bless them for their honesty and solidarity.
Thank you annie!
Kerry has talked (advised? hoped for?) a third intifada. Norman Finkelstein has said that a third intifada (and all the OBVIOUS Israeli violence it would bring on) would galvanize the international community of nations to grasp — at long last — with I/P.
Are Kerry, NF, and Liberman on the same page?
Is there anything possible besides a zero sum game? I think inherent in the Zionist ideology, especially as implemented, not. Time to meet the Zionists on their own terms.
There are many sad situations in the world this days but this is one of the saddest of all, people longing for their land for 66 years. Amazing to see that people that suffered such an inhumane abuse and genocide 70 years ago, can be inflicting such inhumane treatment just four year after the WWII against another group of people.
I’ve been ‘on the road’ for so long that my home is where I sleep. Nevertheless, nobody should suffer ‘homelessness’ because of the Apartheid State’s lust for ever more ‘Lebensraum’. Apartheid is a stain on mankind’s moral compass and will lead it astray [as it so clearly does and has done].