Hundreds of Israeli nationalists took to the streets of Jerusalem’s Old City on Monday for the annual Jerusalem Day march, chanting anti-Arab slogans like “Death to Arabs” and “May your village burn,” the Associated Press reported. The occasion is being celebrated to commemorate Israel’s conquest of East Jerusalem in 1967 during the Six-Day War. It heightened tensions between Israelis and Palestinians once more.
The demonstrators, mostly young ultranationalist Jews, paraded through the Muslim Quarter, dancing, waving flags, and shouting slurs. The procession, known as the “Dance of Flags,” has been controversial in recent years due to its provocative route and hostile rhetoric.
In order to prevent violence, Israeli police were heavily deployed along the Old City’s alleys, and Palestinian store owners closed early. According to the news agency AP, some demonstrators harassed locals and got into fights with them in spite of the strict security.
A video showed a police officer hugging a marcher, and another clip captured a group of Jewish youths following a Palestinian woman, shouting “charmouta,” an Arabic word for “who**.” One protester yelled, “This is our home, this is our state,” to which the woman responded in Hebrew, “Go away from here!”
In an effort to deter violence, volunteers from peace organisations like Free Jerusalem and Standing Together attempted to stand between the protesters and locals.
UN COMPOUND BREACHED
A few hours before the march, a small group of Israeli demonstrators, amongst them a member of Israel’s parliament, entered an East Jerusalem UN compound. The location is owned by UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency). Roland Friedrich, the coordinator for UNRWA in the West Bank, said the demonstrators scaled the main gate and entered the building in plain sight of Israeli police. A banner demanding changing the compound into an Israeli settlement was held by one protester.
Israeli officials have been accusing UNRWA of harbouring Hamas operatives. However, the UN has refuted this accusation. In Gaza, the organisation has been the biggest supplier of humanitarian aid. Since employees were instructed not to work at the compound in January due to safety concerns, it has been mainly deserted. According to the UN, the site is still protected by international law, and it has not left.
Jerusalem lies at the heart of the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. Each sees the city as a key part of their national and religious identity. It is one of the most intractable issues of the conflict and is often a flashpoint.
Israel considers all of Jerusalem to be its eternal, undivided capital. Its annexation of east Jerusalem is not internationally recognised. Palestinians want an independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital.