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Marking ‘Land Day,’ anti-Israel activists rally in New York City

Protesters made stops at the headquarters of Israeli-linked organizations such as Friends of the IDF, demanding measures be taken against them. 

By World Israel News Staff

Midtown Manhattan served as the arena for anti-Israel protests on Wednesday as hundreds of pro-Palestinian demonstrators marched through the city, Times of Israel reported.

Wednesday marked 46 years since the anniversary of “Land Day,” the annual commemoration of the 1976 Arab strike against the Israeli government’s decision to transfer land in the Galilee for state purposes. The escalating confrontations led to the death of six Arabs and hundreds of arrests.

At the same time, tensions in Israel are on the rise after a spree of terror attacks carried out by Palestinians over the past week left 11 Israelis dead.

The pro-Palestinian protestors marched through the streets of Manhattan bearing signs reading, for example, “Resistance until we return” and “Intifada until victory,” the Times reported.

They made stops in front of the headquarters Israeli-linked organizations such as Friends of the IDF and demanded that these groups lose their status as non-profits, among other measures, the report said.

While there are no official statistics on the number of Palestinians in the United States, numbers from city leaders and the Arab American Institute show a rising growth trend. According to North Jersey News, the city of Paterson has been dubbed “Little Ramallah” for its large Arab population, paying tribute to its sister city in Ramallah that serves as capital of the Palestinian Authority. 

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Palestinians in Gaza also rallied on Land Day on Wednesday. Umm Musab Abdel-Al, a mother of seven, joined the protests with her children, reported Al Jazeera.

“The land is ours and we will stick to it until the last drop of blood in us,” said Abdel Al.

She also saluted Diaa Hamarsha, the Palestinian terrorist who murdered five Israelis on Tuesday in B’nei Brak, calling him a “martyr,” the Al Jazeera report said.

Land Day events often include violence, In the 2000 Sakhnin Land Day demonstration in northern Israel, at the height of the Second Intifada, hundreds of villagers barged into the IDF base adjacent to the village, stoning Israeli forces and setting fires in the woods. 

At the Manhattan demonstration on Wednesday, pro-Israel counter-protesters took a stand by waving Israeli flags and portraying images of the Israeli victims of the Palestinian terror attacks over the past week, noted Times of Israel.