Land, The Central Issue of Zionist Strategy

March 30th marked the eighth anniversary of the Day of the Land. The historical background of this day relates to the struggle against land confiscation in the Galilee. In the ----commemoration of this day, the Galilee symbolizes all Palestinian and Arab land. On this day, we also commemorate the martyrdom of six Palestinians, who were killed by the Zionists on March 30, 1976, in the Galilee. They in turn represent the hundreds of martyrs who have fallen in defense of their land and national

The question of land has always been the central theme of Gurion, who was to become the first Premier of 'Israel', submit­ Zionism's strategy and plans. The Zionists' ambitions for con­ ted a report to the Zionist Congress, which outlined the bound­ trolling the land and resources of the area have been cloaked aries of the planned state as including: under their basic myth: the false concept of «a land without - South Lebanon to the Litani River people for a people without a land,. In its search for a state, the - Southern Syria passing through Horns, Hama and the Assi Zionist movement eventually chose Palestine as opposed to River other proposed sites. This choice was in accordance with - The east bank of the Jordan River imperialist aims and interests in the Middle East. Yet the - All of Mandate Palestine Zionists still adhere to their myth, and this has led to five wars - The Sinai ahd subjected the entire region to chronic instability, which The successively adopted laws, which serve as the Israeli threatens world peace. constitution, make no mention of the state's boundaries. Obvi­ Since its establishment in May 1948, the Zionist state has ously, Ben Gurion, and the Zionist leadership generally, vie­ derived the bulk of its socio-economic and military policies wed the borders established in 1948 as only a step towards the from the principle of land appropriation. This includes the boundaries of «Greater Israel••. promotion of Jewish immigration, the expulsion of native Zionist strategy has proceeded in accordance with a clear Palestinians and the waging of expansionist wars. From the formula: immigration (of Jews) - expansion - emigration (of time of the first Zionist Congress in 1897, the Jewish Agency ·Palestinian Arabs). Between immigration and expansion employed all its resourc~s to buy land in order to establish comes aggression and land confiscation to impose a new de Jewish settlements. The original Zionist land acquisitions were facto situation until the next cycle starts. Since expansion is a from feudalists and-absentee landlords, such as the Lebanese central aim, military power is a central means. Besides being Sursok family, who made the biggest single land sale. Since used to drive Palestinians out, aggression draws large con­ the Palestinian peasants on the whole refused to sell, only tributions from Jews around the world and the imperialist about 8% of Palestine's land was owned by Jews by 1947. states, who extend economic support prior to a new war. Thus, Zionism's built-in logic of violent aggression came into Aggression also increases the flow oof immigration which may force as the primary means of obtaining «a land without a . have been receding. Thus, the flow of immigration on - expan­ people». The ultimate thrust of this logic is genocidal, as has sion - emigration is applied; military power confiscates the been evidenced by repeated Zionist massacres from Deir Vas­ land; the money contributed is invested; and the new immig­ •• sin in 1948, to Sabra-Shatila in 1982. rants settle in the newly usurped land. If we quickly review the reasons for the June 1967 aggres­ Immigration - expansion - emigration sion and ensuing aggressions, we find the following specific reasons in addition to Zionism's inherent racism and expan­ Through collaboration with the British colonialists, Jewish sionism: immigration to Palestine increased in preparation for usurping - the Israeli state's small geographical area; and colonizing the land. To this day, Jewish immigration and - the noticeable decrease of immigration prior to the 1967 emptying the land of the original inhabitants is the most impor­ invasion; tant element of Zionist strategy, which aims to control the land - the decrease in Israeli exports; in order to create «Greater Israel». The Zionists' adoption of - the rise in unemployment and financial ·deficit, and the this goal made all Palestinian and Arab land a target. The con­ decrease in economic growth. cept of «Greater Israel» was not born in an era of Israeli 'supre­ Ever since the 1967 aggression, the Israeli authorities macy', nor as a result of the 1967 expansion, but was present have been working to confiscate the occupied land, especially prior to the establishment of the Zionist entity. In 1937, Ben in the West Bank, chiefly under false ••security» pretexts or 10 simply by declaring it <Haaretz, September 1948, whether forwarded by Labor or Likud, one finds no sub­ 20, 1983, «Approximately 55-60% of all West Bank land is now stantial differences. The apparent differences are only related classified as 'state land', so that the authorities can claim it at to the rationale for their policies. Both parties have followed a any time ... i.e., most of the land of the West Bank is under the policy based on military power and aggression, and both have control of the authorities.» exerted maximum efforts to annex the 1967 occupied ter­ Obviously, plans such as 'autonomy' and 'civil' administ­ ritories. ration are only other means to achieve the same end. Such plans are part of the Israeli political strategy vis-a-vis the 1967 Cracks in the myth occupied territories, and clear expressions of the Israeli desire to annex the remaining land of Palestine an·d liquidate the It is clear that our enemy has invested tremendous efforts Palestinian national identity in the face of international com­ through material, political and m~itary means, in order to fulfill munity. This way the dream of the world Zionistmovement can the Zionist myth. However, their failure to achieve the «land be fulfilled -the achievement of «Greater Israel» from the Nile without a people» exposes this myth. All the fascist methods to the Euphrates. applied have failed to empty the land of its original inhabitants. Instead the Zionists' difficulties have accumulated to the point Resistance compounds the Zionist dilemma that even some of the most dogmatic have begun to sense that the «desert» is not blooming under their feet, and that the ln spite of this clear strategy and Israeli military supre­ Zionist dream is an illusion. The Zionist leadership faces a macy, the battle continues between the occupation authorities dilemma since many of the «people» for whom they usurped and the Palestinian masses. While our masses' heroic resis­ the land are now escaping. Immigration policy is in an increas­ tance is unable to demolish the Zionist project, it is sufficient to ing contradiction. Settlements built on stolen land remain as create great obstacles for the enemy, and these obstacles will ghost towns, as was stated in the Israeli newspaper, Yediot accumulate in the future. The ongoing resistance of our people Aharanot. A report written by an Israeli, Ouzi Narkis, attributes under occupation is the real reason behind the resignation of the crisis facing Jewish immigration to the following factors: Menachem Milsom, who was in charge of implementing 'civil' - the low number of immigrants from western states; administration in the West Bank, and then of his successor, Eli - increasing emigration, including recent immigrants who Shlomo. At the same time, the Palestinian national position soon leave «the promised land»; buried these civil administrators' other pet project: the village - the question of security and the fear of war; leagues, which were nurtured by the Israeli auth"orities to be an - the lessening of «nationalist» feelings; ~lternative to the PLO. - living conditions in 'Israel' and the difficulty of finding work. Various Israeli newspapers have noted the relationship between the failure of 'civil' administration and the so-called No solution with Zionism Operation Peace for the Galilee, i.e., the invasion of Lebanon, which was intended to finish off the PLO as a means of impos­ In celebrating Land Day, it does not behove us to underesti­ ing 'civil' administration. While this was for the purpose of mate the sources of our enemy's strength, nor to exaggerate its weaknesses. Rather we must base our views and struggle on objective facts about the existence of Zionism. The basic obj~ctive fact is the continuation and deepening of the major contradiction between the Zionist project and the Arab identity, not only of Palestine but of all Arab land. Day after day, it is con­ firmed that the Arab-Zionist conflict is a struggle for existence and not for specific geographical boundaries. For this reason, the contradiction will not be resolved until one or the other party is eliminated. There will be no solution to the conflict until its cause, the Zionist project, disappears and the Arab land is restored. e 11 Day of the Land Celebrations

No to Occupation,No to Capitulation

On the eighth anniversary of the Jerusalem stated that the occupation barracks as was described by the press Day of the Land, our Palestinian masses authorities fired bullets and used tear agency. in occupied Palestine . renewed their gas to disperse mass demonstrations in Reports coming from the occupied commitment to the struggle and expres­ the Aljalazoon camp near Ramalah, territories stated that on the eve of the sed their determination to remain on after camp residents closed the camp eighth anniversary of the Day of the their land. enterance with burning tires. Land, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip On this occasion, throughout all of The agency also stated that a · were turned into real grounds of war. Palestine, in the West Bank and the Palestinian student had been wounded The report added that the Palestinian Gaza Strip; in the Galilee, the Triangle in the town of Beit Sahour, near nationalists challenged the Israeli bul­ and Naqab, the Palestinian voices were Bethlehem, when the enemy attempted lets with ston~s and iron rods. The report shouting slogans of unity against occu­ to disperse demonstrators. The Zionist asserted that the Zionist military ruler of pation and all its repressive racist authorities admitted that they had · ·. Nablus was injured when his car was policies. Other slogans were asserting ordered the closure of one of the secon- bombarded with stones. Also, it was the Palestinian strong will and determi­ dary schools in the town, after the Israeli reported that the demonstrators used nation to continue the struggle in all its patrol cars had been stoned. The enemy loud speakers to broadcast the national forms till liberation. Also, slogans were also admitted that one of its soldiers had and folk songs. raised condemning the practices of the been injured when his patrol car was In the town of Sikhnin, in the central righfwing Palestinians and their deviat­ stoned in the town of Halhool near Heb- Galilee, various demonstrations were ing trend. ron. held where Palestinian flags were Prior to the Day of the Land various Simultaneously, the Zionist raised. The enemy radio broadcast demonstrations and protests took place authorities conducted large scale stated that the demonstrators closed all leading to the special events of the day. arrests in the West Bank and Gaza, the main roads leading to the villages Our masses went out in the streets sing­ which were turned into Israeli military and towns of Galilee. ing Palestinian national songs, raising The people of Galilee demonstrate against repressive policies Palestinian Qags and burning tires to make road blocks. The occupation authorities, had admitted that the demonstrations were quite large. A Zionist military spokesperson admitted that three soldiers were wounded when their military car was hit by a hand gre­ nade in the Jabaliyah camp in the Gaza Strip. At the same time, Palestinian sources asserted that seven Palestinian nationalists had been wounded by Zionist soldiers who fired at the camp residents who had gathered soon after the above mentioned incident. At the same time, the Zionist sol­ diers fired at a demonstration in the Ein Beit Alma camp near Nab1us, which led to the injury of two Palestinian youths, Naser and Hassan Mohammed Ahmad Saed. There were also various clashes between Palestinian nationalists and the Zionist authorities in the West Bank and Gaza. The Palestinian press agency in 12 Balata camp near Nablus. In addition, the source stated that two others were injured in Jenin and a fourth Palestinian youth named Yaser Nizal (17), was wounded in Qabattiyah. An Israeli TV cameraman was injured in the town of Sakhnin in the Galilee during one of the celebrations when attacked by the attendants after they warned him not to take their pic­ tures. Sakhnin witnessed a demonstra­ tion that marched through the streets of the town to the graveyards where three of the town's martyrs who were shot in the first celebration of the Day of the Land in 1976, were buried. A similar demonstration took place in the town of al Tibah in Galilee, where the demonstrators sang 'Beladi...Beladi' (my country,my country), which is the Putting off fires of angry Palestinian masses PLO's national anthem. They also car­ TIMED BOMBS: tions. Demonstrators throughout the ried banners stating «the people of occupied homeland affirmed their united Palestine». The walls of the town were In Jerusalem, a Zionist military position to stand firm against all the covered with slogans and Palestinian spokesperson declared that experts had enemy's repressive and oppressive flags. dismantled two bombs that were disco­ measures. They vowed to continue their Also the village of Araba in Galilee vered shortly before they exploded. One resistance of occupation and struggle witnessed similar demonstrations and of these bombs was found in a central for their national independence. according to a Zionist spokesperson, car garage on the road to Bethlehem, lnspite of the fact that the Zionist «many incidents took place in the West­ while the other was discovered in the authorities had rallied more forces to ern Galilee, including arrests in the vil­ railroad station in Jerusalem. Soon after repress the demonstrations and used all lage of Baqat after its residents raised the news was revealed, the Zionists methods of terror, yet our masses the Palestinian flag». The residents of frantically warned of 'unfamiliar objects' rendered the enemy a heavy blow the Golan Heights also participated in which may contain bombs. through their many large demonstra­ the demonstrations and rallies that took The occupation authorities tions. The sons and daughters of Pales­ place in North Palestine. increased their military presence in th!'l tine in the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, Palestinian sources in the occupied West Bank and Gaza while helicopters and Nazarath gathered to say in one homeland mentioned that the occupa­ were used to intimidate the nationalists united voice «no to occupation». tion authorities fired on demonstrations and to repress all demonstrations. The Throughout Galilee and the sur­ that were held in the camps of Balatta enemy declared a state of emergency in rounding towns, three major demonstra­ and Kalandia. The demonstrators con­ the Galilee. According to Zionist tions and rallies were held under the two fronted the Zionist forces with stones in sources, the authorities closed all roads main slogans of «It is the right of the various places in the West Bank and connecting the 1967 occupied territories Palestinian Arabs to have their own Galilee and raised the Palestinian flag in and the rest of the occupied lands in an independent state» and «Israeli soldiers the middle of Nablus. attempt to stop the West Bank residents out of Lebanon». from participating in the Day of the Land The enemy, as usual, opened fire 1,525 ARRESTS: celebrations in Galilee. Obvious!y, all on the demonstrators in the various their efforts were in vain. Palestinian cities and camps seriously During two days, the number of the injuring four nationalists of whom one Palestinians arrested in the West Bank THE 30th OF MARCH was critically wounded. Palestinian alone reached 724 individuals. Among sources in the occupied homeland them there were sixteen school and uni­ At the dawn of March 30th, the stated that twenty five year old Ahmad versity female students, twenty seven Palestinian people started their celebra- Salman was critically wounded in the .... 13 CELEBRATION IN WEST BERLIN

On March 24th, a celebration was held in West Berlin in anticipation of the Day of the Land. It was sponsored by the General Union of Arab students and attended by large num­ bers of supporters of the Palestinian revolution, from among the Palestinian and Arab community and progressive Ger­ mans. The program included Palestinian national folkdance and song, as well as speeches delivered on behalf of the Palestinian revolution, the Lebanese National Movement and the Lebanese Communist Party. A common theme in the speeches was affirmation of the PLO as the sole, legitimate representative of the Palestinian people, and emphasis on the importance of unity in the PLO. All violations of the decisions of the Palestinian National Council were condemned, as was Arafat's visit to Cairo. women of whom four were over the age These demonstrations and confronta­ Palestine, were qualitative in nature. of fifty five. The reports from the tions took place in Beir Zeit University They both challenged and defeated all occupied land stated that these prison­ near Ramallah, Kalandia camp near the enemy's security measures. The ers were transported in trucks to AI far' a Jerusalem and Duhisha camp near PFLP freedom fighters shelled the prison near Nablus. Bethlehem. Palestinian sources men­ Zionist settlements in Galilee and seized In the Gaza Strip, the number of tioned that an Arab youth was injured by a bus and DFLP commandos carried out prisoners reached 472, including seven the enemy's bullets when they were try­ the Jerusalem operations, making the women, one of them a sixty year old ing to- disperse the demonstration in grounds tremble under the feet of the woman. There were also two female stu­ Dahisha camp. The youth was Mirwan Zionists. dents and nine men over sixty years of Amer ai-Attar (14), and was taken to the The Day of the Land has always age. Palestine Hospital for treatment. been the symbol of the unity of our In the Triangle and Galilee, 329 According to news reporters, Beir Palestinian masses everywhere in spite nationalists were arrested, among them Zeit University witnessed a tough battle of the great geographical distances of 13 girls and women. with the occupation forces. The students separation. Our people especially under The reports from the occupied built barricades of stones and burned occupation through their daily resis­ lands estimated the enemy's loss in the tires at the university entrance, thereby tance and the special activities of the West Bank, the Triangle, and Galilee, closing the way in front of the enemy. Day of the Land affirmed their national during these celebrations, to have They were also chanting anti-occupa­ identity and resistance to occupation. exceeded one hundred destroyed cars. tion slogans and raised Palestinian They were able to put an end to the Among them are the cars of the military flags. The occupation authorities closed Zionist false propaganda of «there is no rulers of Nablus and Ramallah. In addi­ the university area after seizing it, and such thing as Palestinians». The Day of tion to that, the telephone lines in the set­ ordered its closure. · It also arrested the Land this year was full of resistance tlements were all cut off and Zionist flags many of its students and wounded one and demonstrations combined with two were burned. This is not to mention the with bullets as they fired on the crowd of major military operations that affirmed number of soldiers that were wounded. students. our people's determination to continue During this time, the Gaza Islamic their struggle till victory. The celebra­ THE SECOND DAY OF THE University was also experiencing similar tions this year came to indicate that our DEMONSTRATIONS activities and was also seized. people who have been denied their Indeed, the Day of the Land this homeland and right of self-determina­ Our masses with full strength car­ year witnessed outstanding mass tion and have been subjected to the stick ried their celebration through to the fol­ demonstrations and celebrations and carrot policy have not diverted from lowing day. Zionist sources admitted throughout all of the occupied lands. The their national path. They stand united to that for the second consecutive day, the heroic military operations that were car­ challenge all those that deny their army and police were engaged in direct ried out separately by PFLP and the national identity, or claim it to them­ confrontation with the demonstrators. Democratic Front for the Liberation of selves. e 14