Thousands of Israelis march through Jerusalem, with some attacking Palestinians
Thousands of Israelis have joined a march through occupied East Jerusalem, and some of the participants engaged in violent attacks against Palestinians as part of an annual demonstration.
This event, part of the annual Jerusalem Day celebration, took place under Israeli control after the Six-Day War in 1967, and the footage shared by local journalists on Wednesday showed young men and teenagers chanting at the so-called “Flag March”.
Jerusalem Day is a national holiday in Israel where multiple events such as parades, religious ceremonies, and educational programs occur. The parade aims to heighten tensions as Israel pushes on with its war on Gaza, which has killed more than 36,500 people, according to what Palestinian authorities said.
The flag march is the controversial aspect of the celebrations, which symbolizes Israeli sovereignty over the entire city, with the demonstrators dancing and waving Israeli flags throughout the city.
The Jerusalem Waqf, the Islamic authority that oversees the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, said more than 1,100 Israelis infringed on the site, known to Muslims as al-Haram al-Sharif (the Noble Sanctuary). To Jews, it is Temple Mount, but for many Palestinians, the march is seen as a provocative assertion of control over East Jerusalem, which they view as the capital of a future Palestinian state.
The AFP news agency published photos of Israeli demonstrators assaulting a Palestinian journalist in the Old City, with estimates suggesting that tens of thousands of Israelis participated. Several Israeli outlets reported that Haaretz reporter Nir Hasson was also attacked as the atmosphere was charged, so the recent escalations in violence and political instability in the region had raised the stakes.
Almost as soon as the ultranationalist people arrived in occupied East Jerusalem, they started attacking Palestinians. Reports indicated that while many marchers celebrated peacefully, a significant number engaged in aggressive behavior towards Palestinians, including physical assaults and vandalism of property where young kids were attacking older Palestinians – we’ve seen pictures of that,” Khan said.
Israeli police, deployed in large numbers to manage the crowd and prevent violence, faced criticism for their handling of the situation and urged demonstrators to “avoid any physical or verbal violence”.
AFP footage showed while they arrested several individuals on both sides, many Palestinians accused the police of failing to protect them from attacks by the marchers and the demonstrators holding signs rebuking the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the top United Nations court, which has ordered Israel to halt its assault in Rafah.
The Damascus Gate is ours, and the Temple Mount is ours. And God willing, complete victory is ours,” Ben-Gvir said, according to Times of Israel.
Our people will not rest until the occupation is gone and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital. And the violence that marred the event underscored the fragile nature of peace in the region and the urgent need for constructive dialogue and mutual respect, Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh said in the parade.
