Israel braced for Land Day demonstrations

Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and Gaza and in Israel are set to demonstrate to remember the killings of six Palestinian-Israelis killed by Israeli security forces in 1976 during protests over the confiscation of their land.

Mustafa Barghouti, a Palestinian organiser, said that activists from 82 countries were expected to participate in Land Day activities on Friday.

Mahmoud Aloul, a Palestinian leader in the West Bank involved in preparations, said demonstrations were to be held in Jerusalem, at the Qalandiya checkpoint on the outskirts of the city and in the West Bank town of Bethlehem. Other events were planned in towns in northern Israel.

Activists in Gaza planned to hold a demonstration about a kilometre from the Israeli border, but said they did not plan to move closer, minimising the chance of clashes.

Supporters in neighbouring countries planned marches near the Israeli borders in a solidarity event dubbed a "Global March to Jerusalem".

Meanwhile, on Thursday Israel stepped up preparations a day before a series of planned Arab protests, deploying thousands of troops and police across the country and along its borders in anticipation of possible violence.

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 said.

Israeli police spokesman Mickey Rosenfeld said thousands of officers were on the move throughout the country Thursday in preparation for Land Day. He said the biggest deployments were near Arab towns in northern Israel and in Jerusalem.

He said police were in touch with leaders of Arab communities in Israel in an attempt to keep protests peaceful.

In a statement to mark the day, Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat said Israel's policy of denying access to land was "at the heart of the conflict".

Palestinians had a right to demonstrate peacefully and to demand "the fulfillment of their national and legal rights", he said.