Jerusalem Day Parade Highlights Deep Divisions in Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
Thousands of Israeli ultranationalist supporters marched through occupied East Jerusalem during the annual Jerusalem Day procession on Thursday, triggering fresh tensions in the city as participants reportedly shouted anti-Arab slogans and confronted Palestinian residents in the Old City.
The controversial “Flag March” is held every year to commemorate Israel’s capture of East Jerusalem during the 1967 Six-Day War. Israelis mark the occasion as the reunification of Jerusalem, while Palestinians and much of the international community view it as the beginning of Israel’s occupation of East Jerusalem.
As the procession moved through the Muslim Quarter under heavy security deployment, many Palestinian shopkeepers reportedly shut their businesses and stayed indoors, fearing violence and harassment during the march.
According to international media reports, several groups participating in the rally shouted inflammatory slogans such as “Death to Arabs”, “May your villages burn”, and “Gaza is a graveyard” while waving Israeli flags and moving through Damascus Gate and nearby areas of the Old City.
Reports also stated that some nationalist youths allegedly harassed Palestinian residents even before the main parade entered the area, further escalating tensions in the sensitive part of the city.
Prominent far-right Israeli leaders, including National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, were among those who joined the event.
Ben-Gvir also visited the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound carrying an Israeli flag — a move that sparked criticism and was widely seen as provocative due to the fragile status quo surrounding the holy site, revered by both Muslims and Jews.
Over the years, the Jerusalem Day march has increasingly become a strong display of support for Israel’s religious nationalist movement.
Large numbers of ultranationalist activists, settlers, and supporters from different parts of Israel and the occupied West Bank gathered near Damascus Gate ahead of the rally, with some openly chanting slogans asserting exclusive Israeli sovereignty over Jerusalem.
Meanwhile, peace activists from Jewish-Arab organisations such as Standing Together and Tag Meir formed volunteer groups across sections of the Old City to help protect Palestinian residents and reduce the risk of violence during the procession.
Reports said hundreds of volunteers participated in de-escalation efforts amid heightened concerns over possible clashes.
Jerusalem continues to remain one of the most sensitive and disputed issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Israel claims the entire city as its undivided capital, while Palestinians seek East Jerusalem as the capital of a future independent Palestinian state.
Israel annexed East Jerusalem after the 1967 war, though the move has not been recognised by much of the international community.
