Israeli nationalists marched through Jerusalem’s Old City on Thursday chanting anti-Arab slogans during the annual Jerusalem Day procession, an event marking Israel’s capture of East Jerusalem in 1967.
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Participants shouted phrases including “death to the Arabs,” “may your villages burn,” and “Gaza is a graveyard” as thousands gathered to celebrate what many Israelis regard as the reunification of the city. Critics, including Palestinians and rights groups, view the event as a display of dominance over Palestinian residents in East Jerusalem.
The march concluded with Israel’s national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, raising an Israeli flag near the al-Aqsa mosque compound, one of Islam’s holiest sites.
Tensions in the Old City
Much of the Muslim quarter of the Old City was largely deserted before the march began, as many Palestinian shopkeepers closed their businesses and residents left the area in anticipation of unrest.
Some far-right Jewish activists entered the quarter and clashes broke out between them and Palestinians who remained. Witnesses said both sides threw chairs during confrontations before police intervened and separated the groups. Officers had deployed in large numbers across the area earlier in the day.
Many participants in the march were transported to Jerusalem by bus from across Israel and from Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank. The event was organised with support from the Jerusalem municipality and government ministries.
Israel’s finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, also took part in the procession.
One marcher, a 19-year-old named Ariel Amichai from Modi’in, said he had come to demonstrate Jewish claims to the city.
“I’ve come to show all the world that this is our city,” he said. “God gave us this country and this city.”
Asked what message the march was intended to send to Palestinians, he said they should leave the area and that Jerusalem belonged to Israel.
Counter-Protesters Form Protective Presence
After Palestinian residents withdrew from the Old City, tensions also emerged between nationalist marchers and activists from Standing Together, a Jewish-Arab grassroots group that organised volunteers to monitor the situation.
The organisation said about 400 volunteers wearing purple high-visibility vests had gathered in the city to help protect Palestinian residents and deter violence.
Standing Together organiser Suf Patishi said volunteers were positioned throughout the Old City to try to prevent attacks.
“It is dangerous for us,” he said, adding that Palestinians living in the area faced greater risks.
Some religious Jews also joined the counter-protest effort. One ultra-Orthodox participant, who identified himself only as David, said he was troubled by the behaviour of some in the nationalist march.
“I’ve become appalled by the violent behaviour of people in my community,” he said, adding that he felt compelled to act in contrast to what he described as a desecration of religious values.
Flag Raised at Al-Aqsa Compound
Later in the day, Ben-Gvir visited the al-Aqsa compound — known to Jews as the Temple Mount — where he danced with supporters and raised an Israeli flag.
The move came amid ongoing tensions surrounding the sensitive religious site. Under a long-standing arrangement dating back nearly six decades, non-Muslims are allowed to visit the compound but are not permitted to pray there.
Ben-Gvir has previously called for changes to these rules and has repeatedly visited the site since taking office.
In a message posted on Telegram later on Thursday, he said that raising the flag marked a sign of renewed Israeli authority over the area, adding that governance had returned to the Temple Mount.
Jerusalem Day’s Political Significance
Jerusalem Day commemorates Israel’s capture of East Jerusalem during the Six-Day War in 1967. Israel later annexed the area in a move not recognised by most of the international community.
For many Israelis, the event celebrates the unification of Jerusalem under Israeli control. Palestinians, however, regard East Jerusalem as the future capital of a Palestinian state and view the annual march as a provocation.
The event has become increasingly contentious in recent years, with critics saying the procession through the Muslim quarter heightens tensions between Jewish nationalists and Palestinian residents.
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Adapted by ASEAN Now. Source 15 May 2026
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