BICOM

Israel’s security forces have raised the country’s alert level ahead of Friday’s anticipated Land Day demonstration, which is being marked today.  Israeli Arabs and Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza mark the annual protest against Israeli land policies.

This year organisers are stepping up protests with an event called the “Global March to Jerusalem”. The IDF has deployed troops ahead of the solidarity event, which is calling for protest marches up to Israel’s borders. Demonstrations are also expected in several Palestinian cities in the West Bank and at the Kalandiya crossing to Ramallah, north of Jerusalem. Officers from the Civil Administration have been in touch this week with their Palestinian counterparts in an effort to contain the protests and prevent them from escalating.

Sources in the IDF Northern Command said no demonstrations were expected on the Syrian border because of the domestic situation in that country, but that protests were expected on the Lebanese border. The Southern Command expected protests mainly at the Erez and Karni checkpoints into Gaza.

Forces have been briefed on rules of engagement and have been ordered to act with restraint, but to protect the border and not to allow protesters to cross it as they did last year.

Police spokesman Mickey Rosenfeld said thousands of officers were on the move throughout the country. He added police were in touch with leaders of Arab communities in Israel in an attempt to keep protests peaceful. “We’re hoping there won’t be any major incidents,” he said. “If there are … obviously the police will respond and deal with them.

Israeli Public Security Minister Yitzhak Aharonovitch, who oversees the national police force, said officers would be spread out in potentially explosive areas Friday but would not enter Arab villages unless needed. “The guidelines are to allow everyone to mark Land Day quietly … We will keep a low profile,” he told Israel Radio.