The feared escalation failed to materialize: Israel observed this year's Jerusalem Day on Sunday, marking the 55th anniversary of the capture of East Jerusalem in the Six-Day War. The day is a national holiday and also features the annual flag march of Israeli youth through Jerusalem's Old City.
A year ago, Hamas used events surrounding this day as a pretext to launch a multi-day barrage of heavy shelling from the Gaza Strip against Israel. There have also been terrorist threats this year. However, observers in Israel believe that Hamas currently has no interest in another round of hostilities, as it is still recovering from the material losses it suffered during the Israeli military operation a year ago. Accordingly, Sunday remained quiet around the coastal enclave on the Mediterranean.
Many Israelis on the Temple Mount
However, several clashes between Jews and Arabs occurred in Jerusalem itself. Earlier that morning, police had reported disturbances caused by a few masked Arabs on the Temple Mount around the Al-Aqsa Mosque. The police managed to restore order, allowing Jews to subsequently enter the area. A total of approximately 2,600 Israelis were reportedly on the Temple Mount on Sunday. Israeli media are calling it a record number.
The Israelis walked past Arabs at a distance of only a few meters, leading to verbal confrontations. Police also reported "clashes" between worshippers and a group of visitors. Bottles and chairs were thrown, and several suspects were arrested.
Furthermore, the police denounced a group of "dozens of visitors" for violating rules governing access to the Temple Mount. The group was removed from the premises, and some individuals were taken into custody. The police did not provide further details. It is possible that this involved a violation of the so-called "status quo," which prohibits non-Muslims from praying on the Temple Mount.
The well-known Temple Mount activist and former Knesset member Yehuda Glick also visited the Temple Mount and broadcast the ascent live online. During the visit, Glick recited several psalms. "They have voices and music of hate, they have voices and music of violence," Glick declared, referring to Arabs who shouted slogans during the visit. "We are here to change the music, we are here to restore sanctity to this place."
70,000 participants in the flag march
In the afternoon, the flag march also got underway, an annual event primarily attended by young people who celebrate the "reunification" of Jerusalem with singing and dancing. The police, who themselves deployed around 3,000 officers to secure the day, counted approximately 70,000 participants. Unlike last year, they had again approved the usual route this year, which leads part of the group through the Damascus Gate and thus through the Muslim Quarter of Jerusalem's Old City to the Western Wall.
Arabs in the Old City explained that they considered the route a provocation. Clashes broke out in the Old City and were documented in several videos. One video shows an Israeli boy spraying a substance, apparently pepper spray, in the face of an Arab woman. Several anti-Arab chants, emanating from some of the young people, caused further outrage. According to multiple reports, the cry "Death to the Arabs" was heard.
According to police, more than 60 people were arrested in connection with "riots, stone-throwing, attacks on police officers, and other violent incidents on the Temple Mount, in the Old City, and in East Jerusalem." Reports indicate that dozens were injured.
Outrage over anti-Arab chants
Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, according to his office, instructed security forces this afternoon to show "zero tolerance for violence or provocations by extremist elements." The Yamina politician specifically referred to the group "La Familia," a fan group of the football club Beitar Yerushalayim, which is described in Israeli media as strongly nationalist. Bennett had previously called on participants to "celebrate responsibly and respectfully.".
Foreign Minister Yair Lapid (Yesh Atid) wrote on Twitter in the afternoon that "La Familia" and "Lehava," another nationalist group, did not stand for Jerusalem Day. They were "a disgrace that damages the joy of the people of Israel on Jerusalem Day.".
Clashes also broke out outside the Old City later in the day. Media outlets reported altercations in the Sheikh Jarrah and Isaviya neighborhoods. Documented incidents included stone-throwing and attacks on Israeli buses. Further injuries were reported in the various clashes.
Government praises day as a success
The left-leaning Security Minister Omer Barlev (Avoda), who had strongly advocated for the flag march to proceed along its usual route, declared the decision correct. Giving in to the threats of terrorist organizations would only lead to even more serious situations. "With the exception of a few minor incidents," the flag march had gone ahead as planned.
His cabinet colleague Ayelet Shaked (Yamina), the Interior Minister, also praised the day as a success. She wrote on Twitter: “The Jews raised their heads. More flags, more joy, more sovereignty, and zero rockets. A happy Jerusalem day.” This was apparently also aimed at former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (Likud), who was still in office a year ago when the day fully escalated, and who now repeatedly criticizes what he sees as his successor's overly lenient policies.
