Negative Commemorations Under Way in Palestinian Community

Following the recent observance of “Naqba” – catastrophe — the commemoration of Israel achieving statehood in 1948 and the Arab population fleeing their homes, Palestinians marked “Naqsa” – setback – the 1967 war which resulted in the Israeli acquisition of east Jerusalem, the West Bank, the Golan Heights and the Gaza Strip, beginning on June 5. Palestinian officials have been urging the formation of sit-ins and demonstrations to protest the Israeli actions of 1967 and the present. The calls for confrontation, including the designation of this Friday as another “Day of Rage” has prompted Israel’s security echelon to raise the level of alert to “high.” Fridays along the border between Israel and the Gaza Strip have been consumed with violent confrontations every week for the past two months. This week Hamas has called for a million Palestinians to storm the border fence setting the stage for considerable bloodshed. Another reminder of the 1967 war came with news that the broadcaster who told his Egyptian audience that its army had reached Tel Aviv victoriously when in reality the army was decimated by the Israel Defense Forces died at age 93.