Palestinian citizens of Israel and Israeli activists carry placards during a protest calling for an end to Israel s war on Gaza, in the Palestinian-Israeli town of Umm Al-Fahem in northern Israel, on March 9, 2024. AFP
The protesters chanted anti-war slogans and held up signs that read "No to the War and Destruction" and "Stop the War," Haaretz reported.
Photos circulated on news wires showed signs reading “No to Killing Innocent Children and Women,” “Stop the Bloodshed,” and “Free Gaza.”
During the first days of the war in October, police violently broke up a similar demonstration in the city, arresting at least 12 people.
One of those arrested was the prominent human rights lawyer Ahmad Khalifa, who was only released in February after 110 days in prison.
In November, the Israeli High Court enforced a ban on protests in the city, even as they allowed predominantly Jewish protests against the war elsewhere in the country.
Umm Al-Fahm is located in the Haifa District in north Israel, with the majority of the nearly 60,000 population being Palestinian citizens of Israel (PCIs), sometimes called Arab-Israelis.
According to the Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics, there were more than two million PCIs in 2023, comprising 21 percent of the population.
PCIs are Palestinians and their descendants who were not expelled by Zionist militias during the 1948 war.
They endure systemic discrimination inside Israel, including access to jobs, housing, and education.
Since the beginning of the Israeli war on Gaza, PCIs have faced increased hostility and violence in Israel.
Those who dare voice their anger at Israeli war crimes in Gaza have been accused of treason, subjected to death threats, and forced into arbitrary detention.
“Some of these arrests were carried out with brutal force in the middle of the night and without proper legal justification. During detention, PCI are facing severe conditions, including verbal abuse, physical aggression, and threats of sexual violence.” Adalah, an organization for Arab minority rights reported.
Since 7 October, Israeli universities have taken disciplinary actions against dozens of PCI students, suspending or expelling them for social media posts on personal accounts.
Adalah reported monitoring 110 cases involving 91 Palestinian students in 32 institutions as of 14 November.
Dozens of PCIs have also been dismissed or suspended from their jobs for expressing solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.
Short link: