For Palestinians, bleak mood as Israel marks anniversary

On the 60th anniversary of Israel's creation, a Palestinian youth held a Hamas flag as he climbed ruins in Gaza Strip. (MOHAMMED ABED/AFP/GETTY IMAGES)

JERUSALEM - Across Israel, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip, Palestinians mourned their exodus from the land yesterday with moments of silence, black clothing and displays of defiance.

The day marked the 60th anniversary of Israel's declaration of statehood, an event that Palestinians still refer to as the Naqba: the catastrophe. It led to a war between the new state and the surrounding Arab nations - and lives as rootless refugees for generations of Palestinians.

In Ramallah, thousands of black-clad marchers marked the day by rallying in Manara Square. Throughout the West Bank protesters released 21,195 black balloons - one for each day since May 15, 1948.

A two-minute siren and a moment of silence preceded the event and the Palestinian Authority's president, Mahmoud Abbas, addressed the rally via satellite from Kuwait.

"We mark this anniversary not to feel sorry for ourselves, but to remind everyone of the long and glorious struggle of this people, whose suffering and pain have not ended yet," Abbas said. "It is time the occupation came to an end and the mark of disgrace in human history called the Palestinian Naqba also came to an end."

Scattered clashes broke out throughout the day between Israeli soldiers and rock-throwing Palestinian youth near the Qalandia checkpoint that bisects the Jerusalem-Ramallah road.

No serious injuries were reported.

In the Gaza Strip, intra-Palestinian disputes marred Naqba protests. Supporters of Hamas, the militant group that controls Gaza, fought with cadres from the rival Fatah faction during a Fatah-sponsored Naqba rally. Thirty people were reported injured.

Yesterday's events capped off several days of Palestinian rallies, marches and commemorative events. Earlier this week in Jerusalem, hundreds of black-clad marchers walked through predominantly Jewish neighborhoods, marking what they said were the former homes of dispossessed Palestinian refugees.

On Monday, students at East Jerusalem's Al Quds University staged a mocked wedding between a bride named "thawra," or revolution, and a groom named "aid," or return. It was meant to symbolize the demand that Palestinian refugees be allowed to return to Israel, a major sticking point in peace talks between the Israelis and Palestinians.