Nazareth

==== 1950s–1960s ====
[[File:Habsora from selezian.jpg|thumb|View of modern Nazareth]]
In the first few years of its incorporation into Israel, Nazareth's affairs were dominated by the issues of land expropriation, [[internally displaced Palestinians|internally displaced refugees]] and the hardships of martial law, which included curfews and travel restrictions. Efforts to resolve these issues were largely unsuccessful and led to frustration among the inhabitants, which in turn contributed to political agitation in the city.<ref>Emmett 1995, p. 49.</ref> As the largest Arab town in Israel, Nazareth became a center of [[Arab nationalism|Arab]] and [[Palestinian nationalism]], and because the [[Communist Party of Israel|Communist Party]] was the sole legal political group that took up many of the local Arab causes, it gained popularity in Nazareth.<ref name="Emmett49-50">Emmett 1995, pp. 49–50.</ref> Arab political organization within Nazareth and Israel was largely stymied by the state until recent decades.<ref>Emmett 1995, pp. 50–51.</ref> Arab and Palestinian nationalist sentiment continue to influence Nazareth's political life.<ref>Emmett 1995, p. 48.</ref>

In 1954, 1,200 [[dunam]]s of Nazareth's land, which had been slated for future urban expansion by the municipality, was expropriated by state authorities for the construction of government offices and, in 1957, for the construction of the Jewish town of [[Nazareth Illit]]. The latter was built as a way for the state to counterbalance the Arab majority in the region.<ref name="Emmett52">Emmett 1995, p. 52.</ref> [[Knesset]] member [[Seif el-Din el-Zoubi]], who represented Nazareth, actively opposed the [[Israeli land and property laws#The 'Absentees Property Law'|Absentees' Property Law]], which allowed state expropriation of land from Arab citizens who were not permitted to return to their original villages. Zoubi argued that the internally displaced refugees were not absentees as they were still living in the country as citizens and wanted to return to their homes.<ref>Emmett 1995, p. 51.</ref> Israel offered compensation to these internal refugees, but most refused for fear of permanently relinquishing their [[Palestinian right of return|right of return]]. Tensions between Nazareth's inhabitants and the state came to a head during a 1958 [[May Day]] rally where marchers demanded that refugees be allowed to return to their villages, an end to land expropriation, and self-determination for Palestinians. Several young protesters were arrested for throwing stones at security forces.<ref name="Emmett49-50"/> Martial law ended in 1966.

On 5 January 1964, [[Pope Paul VI]] included Nazareth in the [[List of pastoral visits of Pope Paul VI outside Italy|first ever papal visit]] to the Holy Land.<ref name="HL">{{cite web|url=http://www.officialcatholicdirectory.com/special-feature-article/papal-visits-to-the-holy-land.html |title=Papal Visits to the Holy Land |first=Judith |last=Sudilovsky |year=2009 |publisher=Official Catholic Directory |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131213055756/http://www.officialcatholicdirectory.com/special-feature-article/papal-visits-to-the-holy-land.html |archive-date=13 December 2013 |url-status=live }}</ref>