As images of burned children, starving families, and bombed hospitals in Gaza become the constant soundtrack of daily life, the Palestinian communities that survived the Nakba and stayed in the lands that were occupied by Israel in 1948 (hence called “’48 Palestinians”), are filled with anger, frustration, and a sense of hollowness and disempowerment. Against the general paralysis, Umm al-Fahm, the main Palestinian city in “the Northern Triangle region,” stands out.

Palestinian activists in the town, united around the local “popular committee,” keep trying to break the barriers of repression and fear that have taken hold in their community since October 7. The last attempt was on Saturday, May 24.

The popular committee in Umm al-Fahm called for a national demonstration backed by the Higher Follow-Up Committee of the Arab Public — the united leadership of ’48 Palestinian communities — alongside the Committee for Solidarity with the Administrative Detainee Raja Eghbarieh.

The invitation for the demonstration came under three slogans: “We stand with our people! No to ethnic cleansing and genocide! Freedom to the teacher Raja and all other detainees!”

Even as the demonstration was licensed, the police did not let it end peacefully. As we gathered in Dawar al-‘Uyun, plainclothed “detectives” started to attack demonstrators and tear down some banners that they did not like. I noticed specifically that they objected to such banners as “No to Genocide” and “No to Ethnic Cleansing.”

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