Arabs in Akko plan to hold a rally on Friday evening mourning the creation of the state of Israel. The rally will be organized by the local chapter of Hadash, an formerly communist Israeli party that holds has four seats in the Knesset, three of them occupied by Arabs.
The rally will be the first “Nakba Day” event held in the mixed Jewish-Arab city of Akko. The word “Nakba,” or “catastrophe,” is used bty Arabs to refer to their defeat in the War of Independence and establishment of the Jewish state.
An Arab rally in Akko earlier this month caused anger when Arabs waved the flag of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) terrorist group. That rally was also organized by Hadash.
Organizers said the weekend rally would not feature PLO flags. Instead, marchers will carry black flags and torches, they said.
The chairman of the Akko Hadash chapter, local official Ahmed Awada, said the rally aimed to teach young Israeli Arabs to be “vigilant” in order to prevent Jews from forcing them from their land. The slogan of the march will be “Not another Nakba,” he said.
Jewish city officials expressed anger at the march, which they said would exacerbate Jewish-Arab tensions in the city after months of concerted efforts to maintain calm. The city has invested resources in reducing crime and fighting Jewish-Arab tension since violent riots on Yom Kippur that saw the vandalization of hundreds of homes, cars and businesses.
Two Arabs who set fire to a synagogue in Akko were sentenced to jail time Wednesday.