Israeli nationalist demonstrators marched through Jerusalem’s Old City on May 14, chanting slogans such as "Death to the Arabs," "May your villages burn," and "Gaza is a graveyard" during the annual Jerusalem Day event commemorating Israel’s capture and annexation of East Jerusalem in 1967 [1].
National security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir publicly unfurled an Israeli flag in front of the al-Aqsa mosque, the holiest Islamic site in Jerusalem [1]. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich also participated in the march [1].
Most Palestinians in the Muslim quarter closed their shops and left before the march began, though clashes erupted between some radical Jewish marchers and the few Palestinian residents who remained [1]. Police entered the Old City in force to separate the conflicting groups and maintain order [1].
The marchers were transported from locations across Israel and settlements in the occupied West Bank, with funding from the Jerusalem municipality and Israeli government ministries [1]. Ariel Amichai, a 19-year-old marcher from Modi’in, about 43 kilometers from Jerusalem, said the march sent a message that Palestinians must leave: "I’ve come to show all the world that this is our city. This is the Holy Land. God gave us this country and this city. That they must leave. This is our country. And they can’t just be here and try to stab us or kill us" [1].
In response to potential violence, Standing Together, a Jewish group, mobilized 400 volunteers to protect Palestinians during the event. Volunteer Suf Patishi stated, "We wanted to really cover each and every corner of the city to make sure that we prevent attacks against Palestinians. Yes, it is dangerous to us, but nothing like the danger to the Palestinians that are living here" [1].
The Jerusalem Day march is held annually to mark the 1967 event when Israel captured and later annexed East Jerusalem, a move not internationally recognized. Police and security forces will continue monitoring the Old City in the following days to prevent further clashes [1].
