fired into the air, but it seemed as if no one in that crowd of br

burning passions paid any attention.

“The mob of demonstrators noticed the Israeli force begin- br

ning to withdraw. The large crowd began close pursuit of the br

Israeli forces. Running hysterically, they threw stones and br

roared: ‘Charge them—Eleyhom!’ Thousands moved toward the br

soldiers, and at that critical moment, the commander of the br

force gave orders to fire . . .” (Yediot Aharonot, March 31, 1976).

An Israeli journalist who attempted to get past a roadblock br

in the village was attacked by Arabs shouting: “Get out of here! br

This is Palestine!” He later reported: “It was terrible there. I do br

not remember such chaos since 1948. Every Jew was a candidate br

for murder. I saw them with the lust for murder burning in their br

eyes. Slogans such as ‘Eleyhom’ and ‘Itbach Al-Yahud’ [“slaugh- br

ter the Jews”] are moderate in view of what I heard. From all br

sides came cries for the liquidation of Israel, to destroy all the br

Jews, for a jihad [“holy war”]. It is difficult to believe that br

such a scene could take place in the State of Israel, 1976.”

The journalist added: “Such hatred of the state and the br

Jews is difficult to comprehend. What happened there was not br

mere rioting or chaos. It was a revolt. The Arab revolt of 1976 . . . It br

was a revolt in the full sense of the word” (Maariv, March 31, br

1976).

The revolt spread to villages and towns, throughout the br

Galilee and the “Triangle,” the two main centers of Arab popu- br

lation in Israel. In Sakhnin, Araba, Deir Hanna, Beth Netora, br

Tira, Tayba, Kalansuwa, Kfar Kana, Nazareth, and dozens of br

other places, violence and rioting occurred. For the first time in br

Israel’s existence, its Arab citizens had called a political general br

strike. When quiet was finally restored, six Arabs were dead and br

more than thirty-five Israeli soldiers and police injured. In the br

words of Maariv correspondent Yosef Valter, returning from the br

Arab village of Umm al-Fahm: “It was not pleasant for a Jew to br

wander there. . . .”

The pamphlet issued by the Israeli government in 1973 at- br

tempted to give the impression that the Arabs of Israel feel br

themselves part of the state and that the years since 1948, years br

that have brought them social and economic benefits, have also br

made them loyal to Israel, have made them see their destiny and br

that of the Jewish state as mutual.