Thousands of Jews and Arabs in Israel demand an end to the war in Gaza

(Patria) - Thousands of Palestinian citizens of Israel gathered on Friday demanding an end to the war in Gaza as they marked Land Day, an annual commemoration of the deadly crackdown on protests against Israeli land confiscation in 1976, AFP reported.

The demonstrators, led by Arab members of the Israeli parliament, marched through the town of Deir Hanna in the north of the country, waving Palestinian flags and carrying banners that read "Stop the war in Gaza".

The majority of the demonstrators were Arab citizens of Israel – Palestinians who escaped displacement during the 1948 war that led to the creation of Israel and who, with their descendants, now make up about 21 percent of its population.

A smaller contingent of Jewish Israelis joined the rally, with some carrying signs that read "Jews and Arabs refuse to be enemies".

Land Day commemorates the protests and strike of March 30, 1976, against the decision of the Israeli authorities to seize large parts of land in the northern Galilee region.

"On this day 48 years ago, our people thwarted the project of confiscating our land with their protests... and they embodied an important and prominent milestone in history," said Deir Hanna Mayor Saeed Hussein in a speech in the main square.

"48 years have passed, and the machine of death and displacement still exists... the attempt to erase our national identity and seize our lands continues," he added.

Arab citizens of Israel suffer from higher rates of unemployment, poverty, and crime than Jewish Israelis.

Community leader and former MP Mohammed Barakeh said that Israeli Arabs still face "displacement and repression".

"This flesh burning in Gaza is ours, and the women killed in Gaza are our sisters," he said, condemning what he described as "genocide" in the Palestinian territory.

Since the war broke out nearly six months ago, Arab citizens of Israel say they have experienced growing hostility from the government and other Israelis.