Palestinians commemorate their displacement and the creation of Israel, acknowledging it as 'Catastrophe Day' or 'Nakba'.
On Israel's Independence Day, Protests Mark Palestinian Plight
As Israelis cheered for their independence, a somber crowd of demonstrators marched through the remnants of Al-Lajjun, chanting "Your independence is our Nakba." This Palestinian gathering was a poignant reminder of the centuries-old conflict brewing in the region.
Al-Lajjun, once bustling with thousands of residents, now lies in ruins—partially claimed by kibbutz Megiddo, an Israeli farming community. The villagers implore, "Al-Lajjun land has now become kibbutzim."
This year's commemoration of the Nakba (catastrophe) unfolded amidst the 18-month war in Gaza, displacing nearly all of its 2.4 million people at least once, according to the United Nations. Israeli-Palestinian tensions have long simmered, a result of consequential conflicts like Land Day (1976) and the Nakba itself.
The protesters, adorned in traditional keffiyeh headscarves, hummed the Palestinian anthem and exchanged stories of loss and resilience. Among them was Ziyad Mahajneh, an elderly man driven out of Al-Lajjun as a child in 1948. He recalls the betrayal of his community as Israeli forces attacked their village with cannons and machine guns. A neighbor saved him, and together they fled to the nearby town of Umm al-Fahm.
"Today, we are forbidden to be here," Mahajneh laments, referring to Israelis. "They ask us, 'What are you doing here'?"
For more than two decades, Arab Israelis have marked Israeli Independence Day with an annual "March of Return" to a depopulated Palestinian village. This year, organizers canceled the central march due to heightened restrictions imposed by Israeli authorities, including attendance limits and a ban on Palestinian flags.
"They want us to stop from doing even the simplest act: remembering the Nakba," said Faisal Mahajneh, another displaced resident of Al-Lajjun. "We are the people of this land, and we will not lose hope" of returning.
The March of Return reflects a broader Palestinian struggle for land rights and the right of return. Although the protests don't always grab headlines, they expose ongoing ethnic tensions and the ongoing quest for identity and justice in the region.
© 2025 AFP
Enrichment Data
While the provided sources focus on Al-Lajjun, similar stories can be found in the devastated villages of Iqrit and Biram. These communities were forcibly expelled in 1948 and symbolize the persistent Palestinian desire to reclaim their ancestral lands. Israeli policies since then have systematically transferred land ownership from Palestinians to the state or Jewish entities, often through expropriation laws and demographic engineering.
In recent years, Israeli attempts to quell the March of Return have escalated. Restrictions have become more severe, including cancellation of the event in 2025 for the first time in decades. These actions are part of an ongoing effort to suppress Palestinian expressions of identity and political aspirations.
- In Gaza, where over 2.4 million people have been displaced nearly thrice due to an 18-month war, the recent protests serve as a poignant reminder of the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
- The Village of Al-Lajjun, now partly owned by the Israeli kibbutz Megiddo, was a passionate backdrop for Palestinian demonstrators who chanted "Your independence is our Nakba."
- Commemorating the Nakba, an event that symbolizes displacement for Palestinians, Ziyad Mahajneh, an elderly man displaced from Al-Lajjun in 1948, lamented the restrictions on their return.
- Despite Israeli efforts to suppress the annual "March of Return" protest, a broader Palestinian struggle for land rights and the right of return continues to persistently surfaces in the news of war-and-conflicts, politics, and general news.
- In addition to Al-Lajjun, devastated villages like Iqrit and Biram, which experienced similar fates, represent the resilient and persistent Palestinian desire to reclaim their ancestral lands.
