The League of Arab States marked the 50th anniversary of Palestinian Land Day on Monday, issuing a searing condemnation of what it described as escalating Israeli "settler-colonial" practices and the systematic dismantling of Palestinian life.
In a statement released by its Sector of Palestine and Occupied Arab Territories, the Cairo-based League commemorated the 1976 "uprising" of Arab populations within 1948 territories. That historic protest was sparked by the Israeli seizure of approximately 21,000 dunams (5,200 acres) of Palestinian land in the Galilee to expand Jewish settlements—a move the League says remains a blueprint for modern "Judaization" policies.
"Land Day arrives this year amid a continuous escalation of expansionist policies, the theft of resources, and the denial of religious freedoms," the statement read.
The League accused Israeli authorities of imposing a total blockade on the Al-Aqsa Mosque to assert sovereignty in violation of international law. The statement further highlighted the "deliberate provocation" of Muslim and Christian sentiments worldwide through the targeting of holy sites in Jerusalem.
Beyond territorial disputes, the Arab League’s message took a grim tone regarding current conditions, citing the destruction of "all elements of human life" in the Gaza Strip. The organization also pointed to "racist legislation" aimed at Palestinian prisoners and the withholding of Palestinian tax revenues as a systematic campaign to undermine the Palestinian Authority.
The General Secretariat hailed the "steadfastness and solid will" of the Palestinian people, reaffirming its support for their struggle for independence.
The League concluded by calling on the international community, specifically the U.N. Security Council, to exert "all forms of pressure" on Israel to halt its military actions and settlement expansion. It reiterated that the only path to stability remains the realization of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, based on a two-state solution.
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