[Today, Monday, October 1, 2012,

"Hizbullah threatened to conquer the Galilee", as riots spread throughout Northern Israel. MK Tibi was in agreement and inflamed his Arab brethren]

March 30, 1976. Nine A.M. The Galilee, northern Israel, home of 300,000 Israeli Arabs. The village of Sakhnin, a model of social and economic progress since 1948. It has good roads, electricity, water, schools, appliances, television sets in every home. It has “greatly advanced its integration into all fields of life of the State of Israel.”

More than 1,000 equal citizens of Israel-Arabs-are in the street facing a small number of police and soldiers. It is “Land Day,” and the crowd grows larger by the minute. “Falastin, Falastin!” (Palestine, Palestine!”), the mob roars. Other chants and shouts are heard: “The Galilee is Arab!” We will free the Galilee with blood and spirit!” Rocks are suddenly thrown in the direction of the soldiers and police. The small group of security men stare in disbelief and growing nervousness. A fiery Molotov cocktail smashes against a wall a few yards away. More and heavier stones, flaming torches, lighted cans of gasoline, and by now the soldiers are surrounded by a growing circle of hate-filled faces. “Our villages do not belong to Israel,” shouts a young Arab. “We belong to the state of Palestine!”