Jerusalem, Israel

Thousands of ultranationalist Israelis participated in the annual march in Jerusalem’s Old City on Wednesday (June 5) amid chants of “Death to Arabs.”

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Jerusalem, the epicentre of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, has remained calm during the Israel-Hamas war. However, the march appeared to have the capacity to further fan tensions and again set off something similar to an 11-day war in Gaza.

The people gathered outside the Damascus Gate, which is a central gathering place for Palestinians living in east Jerusalem, raised anti-Arab and anti-Islamic slogans and waved Israeli flags as the procession started. 

A small scuffle broke out between the marchers and the police just before the procession began. Some people also threw plastic bottles at a journalist who was wearing a vest which had the word PRESS imprinted on it.

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Some Israelis were seen shouting “Muhammad is dead!” as they referred to the Islamic prophet. The marchers were also heard chanting “May your village burn". 

Nearly 18 suspects were arrested by the police on charges of violent offences after clashes broke out during the march.

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Speaking to the crowd, ultranationalist National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir said that the Jerusalem Day celebration this year is sending the message that “Jerusalem is ours".

“Damascus Gate is ours. The Temple Mount is ours, and, God willing, complete victory is ours,” he added.

What is Jerusalem Day Flag March?

The Jerusalem Day Flag March is carried out annually and marks Israel’s capture of East Jerusalem which included the Old City as well as its holy sites sacred to Jews, Christians and Muslims during the 1967 Mideast war. 

Israel claims all of Jerusalem to be its capital, however, east Jerusalem's annexation is not internationally recognised. The Palestinians have been hoping to make East Jerusalem the capital of a future state and feel that such a march is a provocation.

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In the last few years, Palestinians have been forcibly cleared by the police from the parade route and large crowds of youth have chanted “Death to Arabs,” “May your village burn” and other offensive slogans. 

The march took place at a time when tensions over Gaza were high amid the Israel-Hamas war. The war started with an October 7 attack launched by Hamas into southern Israel in which some 1,200 people were killed by militants and around 250 hostages were abducted.

Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing developments on the Israel-Palestine conflict after the Hamas attacks. However, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.

(With inputs from agencies)