In Nazareth, thousands of Jews and Arabs marched from Tawfiq Zayad Street to Mary’s Well Square in the city center, where a rally featuring political speeches was held.
Many young people stood out among the marchers, shouting slogans against capitalist exploitation, fascism, war, and the occupation, while waving red flags and banners in Arabic and Hebrew. Additionally, three marching bands from the Young Communist League of Israel (YCLI) participated in the procession.
At the rally held at the conclusion of the march, speakers included Khitam Wa’ed, Chair of the Hadash faction in Na’amat – The Women’s Movement of the Histadrut; Amjad Shbita, Secretary of Hadash; Ariel Amar, member of the Hadash and CPI leadership; Mina Alaa al-Din, Secretary-General of YCLI; and Adel Amer, Secretary-General of the CPI.
Waked stated: “The war has led to an alarming deterioration in the status of women, and particularly in the situation of Arab women. Working women are suffering both material and psychological harm. Our role is not only to protect rights but to struggle to change social reality. Shbita, emphasized in his speech: “We are here, thousands of Arabs and Jews together, with a clear message against the occupation and capitalism, and for the right of all peoples in the region to freedom and self-determination.” Shbeita further called for the establishment of the Joint List and attacked the police regarding yesterday’s raid on the CPI’s Umm al-Fahm branch. Amar, who spoke after him, said: “We are told that the problem is between Arabs and Jews. This is a lie designed to keep the masses busy fighting each other instead of standing up for their rights. Our struggle is not against one another, but a shared working-class struggle.” The final speaker, YCLI Secretary-General Mina Alaa al-Din, said: “We stand with the workers, with the oppressed peoples, and with all those who pay the price of wars. Imperialist wars bring nothing but blood and destruction and serve only the interests of the wealthy.” She added, “Our stance against the war is a class-based and political stance.”
Yesterday afternoon, hundreds of Jews and Arabs, mostly young people, made their way in a May Day procession that set out from Dizengoff Square to the corner of Rothschild and Nahmani streets in Tel Aviv. Among the marchers were members of the Democrats party and instructors from the Hashomer Hatzair movement, who, in a conversation with “Zo HaDerekh,” expressed disappointment over the “loss of values of equality and solidarity” within their frameworks. The marchers waved many red flags and carried slogans against the war, class exploitation, the occupation, and the Netanyahu government. Members of Knesset Ayman Odeh and Ofer Cassif, along with Secretary-General Amer, were among the marchers.
At the rally held on Rothschild Boulevard, MK Odeh said: “Our most important goal in the coming months is how to exert our full influence to prevent fascism from continuing in power. The right way is to deepen and expand the Jewish-Arab partnership. We will be determined to topple fascism, prevent it from returning to power, and realize our alternative.” Amer also spoke at the rally: “The May Day march set out and reached its destination despite the fascists’ efforts. And it will continue to march until this government goes to hell. The Arab and Jewish working class has suffered more than enough in the last three years, and this suffering must end with the toppling of the fascist Netanyahu-Smotrich-Ben Gvir government.” He added, “On this day, we cannot forget Cuba. We send all our love, support, and solidarity to this heroic island struggling against imperialist aggression.”
Meanwhile, masked police officers raided the CPI club in Umm al-Fahm yesterday afternoon during preparations for the May Day demonstration in Nazareth. Like actions taken in previous years at the CPI branch in Nazareth, armed officers confiscated Palestinian flags that were hanging at the site. Hadash and the CPI added that the officers removed the flags and left without identifying themselves or providing details, nor clarifying if they were acting under a search warrant. “This is not an isolated incident, as similar steps are often taken near major public events,” they added. Immediately after the incident, many activists arrived at the club, including former MK Dr. Yousef Jabarin (Hadash) and CPI District Secretary Murid Farid. Jabarin stated that “this is a provocative, thuggish act with no legal basis. It is a continuation of the policy of silencing and suppressing freedom of expression by Ben Gvir’s police.”
Later, MK Cassif appealed to Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, demanding an immediate investigation into the incident. According to him, “The very act of raiding the club of a legal party on the eve of a legal protest march has a significant chilling effect on freedom of expression and association.” He further added that “the confiscation of Palestinian flags is an arbitrary action with no legal basis, given that displaying the flag is completely legal.” Hadash and the CPI emphasized that the raid would not deter their activists, and they intend to continue their activities and ensure wide participation in tomorrow’s rally.
Since racist National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir took office, and despite the court not yet ruling on the legality of waving the Palestinian flag, police enforcement against its display has increased. Just last week, the police prohibited the waving of Palestinian flags at the “March of Return” marking Nakba Day; the march was ultimately canceled due to police requirements and restrictions.
Furthermore, last week the police detained Dr. Alex Sinclair, a lecturer at the Hebrew University and a resident of Modi’in, for questioning because of a kippah he was wearing, which featured illustrations of the Israeli and Palestinian flags side by side. According to Sinclair’s testimony, the officers demanded the kippah remain with them as a condition for his release. When he refused, the kippah was cut by officers at the station, and the Palestinian flag was removed from it. According to his testimony regarding the moment of his arrest in a café: “The officers arrived at the scene, and one of the female officers told me, ‘Your kippah is against the law, we are detaining you.'”