Fifty years ago on March 30, 1976, six unarmed Palestinians were murdered by Israeli soldiers and police as they protested illegal confiscation of Arab land in the West Bank. Israel had planned to expropriate approximately 7.7 miles of land for Jewish settlements and military use and to continue the “Judaization of the Galilee” begun in 1949. Accompanied by a general strike, the marches and protests also saw close to 100 people injured and hundreds more arrested and imprisoned. The event served to unify Palestinians against land seizure by Israel.
Events were held worldwide on Monday to commemorate Land Day, including two within the Boston area. Jewish Voice for Peace organized a standout in Harvard Square, while the Boston Coalition for Palestine and the Black Alliance for Peace co-sponsored a rally at City Hall, where they joined the international Anti-Fascist Football Coalition in demanding that the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) move the 2026 World Cup out of the United States as a protest against U.S. complicity with and participation in ongoing violations of international law in Palestine.
A press release released by the Boston Coalition for Palestine pointed out that FIFA itself is complicit in these crimes. FIFA President Gianni Infantino awarded Donald Trump the “FIFA Peace Prize” in December and the organization is a “strategic partner” in Trump’s “Board of Peace,” which promises a playground for the rich built on top of the graves of more than 71,000 Gazans.
Meanwhile, the Israeli Knesset commemorated Land Day by passing a law to codify the death penalty for Palestinian prisoners. The law imposes death by hanging within 90 days as the default punishment for what are considered nationalistic killings in military courts and for killings committed with the intention of “negating the existence of the state of Israel.” Only in special circumstances can judges change the sentence to life imprisonment. Because military courts try only Palestinians, the law does not apply to Jewish citizens accused of murder, who are tried in civil courts. Israel’s conviction rate in military courts is 96% according to human rights group, B’Tselem, and is based on what they call “confessions’ extracted under duress and torture during interrogations.”
After the law was passed, Israel’s Minister of National Security, Itmar Ben-Gvir, opened and shared a bottle of champagne while wearing a lapel pin in the shape of a hangman’s noose.
by Jeannie Connerney
