This week marks 49 years since Land Day, a defining moment in the history of the Palestinian people and Palestinian Arab society in Israel. On March 30, 1976, six Arab citizens were killed by Israeli police while protesting against the government’s expropriation of 21,000 acres (2,100 hectares/5,189 acres) of private land as part of the Judaization of the Galilee project. These events have since become a symbol of the Palestinian Arab struggle for land rights and equality.
To commemorate Land Day this year, the Supreme Monitoring Committee has organized a series of events, with parades scheduled for March 28, 2025. Memorial ceremonies will take place in Taybeh, Kafr Kanna, Sakhnin, and Arraba to honor those who lost their lives in 1976.
A key procession is set to take place in Arraba at 3:00 PM on Friday, where marchers from Sakhnin and Deir Hanna will join. Additionally, on March 26, 2025, the Hadash Club in Arraba will host a special event featuring a photo and poster exhibition, along with a Land Day memorial produced by the Mossawa Center.
Ahead of Land Day, the Mossawa Center has highlighted the ongoing struggles regarding land and civil rights that continue to shape the reality of Palestinian Arab citizens in Israel:
This past year has been among the most difficult for Arab society in Israel. The destruction of refugee camps in the West Bank and the ongoing war in Gaza have deepened concerns and heightened calls to end the violence. In response, fundraising campaigns have been launched within Arab society to provide humanitarian aid to Gaza and West Bank refugee camps, especially in light of the upcoming Eid al-Fitr holiday.
The Netanyahu-Smotrich-Ben-Gvir government continues its aggressive policy of evacuating entire villages in the Negev, effectively erasing the historical land rights of Negev Arabs. Over the past year, hundreds of homes have been demolished, particularly in unrecognized villages, and 12 villages have been forcibly evacuated. Residents have been relocated without recognition of their land ownership. Meanwhile, the government has distributed land to political allies, as seen in the case of Umm al-Hiran. This week, the High Court of Justice heard a petition against the evacuation of Ras Jaraba.
The Enforcement Authority, now under the Ministry of Public Security, has ramped up demolitions in mixed cities. Recently, Arab neighborhoods in Haifa have experienced intensified demolitions, continuing the trend of systemic planning discrimination that has long marginalized Palestinian Arab communities in these areas.
The Israeli government continues to block the establishment of new neighborhoods in Arab communities, particularly in the Galilee and the Triangle. Direct intervention from the Prime Minister’s Office has halted land allocation approvals by the Israel Land Authority due to political pressure from right-wing ministers and Knesset members. Figures such as Orit Struck, Amichai Shikli, Avi Dichter, and Bezalel Smotrich—along with Jewish residents' organizations—have actively opposed allocating land to Arab citizens. On March 23, 2025, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu personally intervened to prevent the approval of land allocations in Arab communities.
Instead of addressing the housing crisis, the government has deepened disparities by slashing an additional NIS 34 million from the 2025 Housing Ministry budget, reducing funding initially designated to bridge planning and construction gaps. Arab citizens continue to face obstacles in legislative and policy decisions meant to promote equitable housing access.
The government has refused to extend regulations allowing homes to be connected to the electricity grid without formal planning permits, denying thousands of Arab citizens access to basic utilities.
While violence and organized crime continue to claim numerous lives within Arab communities, the government has failed to implement effective measures to combat these crises, further exacerbating insecurity and social instability.
Forty-nine years after Land Day, the struggle for land and fundamental rights remains as pressing as ever. With land expropriation, forced displacement, housing discrimination, and deepening inequalities, Arab citizens of Israel continue to face systemic marginalization. This year’s Land Day commemorations serve as a powerful reminder that the fight for justice is far from over. Palestinian Arab society in Israel remains steadfast in defending its rights, determined to resist policies that perpetuate discrimination and land dispossession.
For further reading on the history of Land Day, read the Mossawa Center’s Land Day book.
For more details on the Land Day exhibition, visit the Hagar Gallery – Land Day.
