Thousands of Israelis paraded in Jerusalem's Old City on Sunday, including through the Damascus Gate, to mark Jerusalem Day. The march, designed as a celebration, was in defiance of various threats by Palestinians, including terrorists in Gaza who warned that this could trigger a confrontation like in 2021. The march itself was uneventful and culminated, as planned, with a major ceremony at the Western Wall with thousands of participants dancing to music. But in various Arab neighborhoods in the capital rioters targeted Israeli forces during and after the march, hurling rocks and engaging in other forms of violence. Some 50 rioters were arrested, with several officers injured.
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Video: ידיעות מהשטח - טלגרם
The crowds, who were overwhelmingly young Orthodox Jews carrying Israeli flags, celebrated the reunification of Israel's capital in the aftermath of the Six-Day War.
Hamas and various Palestinian figures warned that the parade, despite not being any different than previous years, was a provocation because its path included the Muslim Quarter.
Israel deployed thousands of police and security forces for the event, and small scuffles between Jewish and Palestinian groups erupted inside the Old City. As the march got underway, groups of Orthodox Jewish groups gathered outside Damascus Gate, waving flags, singing religious and national songs, and shouting "the Jewish nation lives" before entering the Muslim Quarter.
Police cleared Palestinians out of the area, which is normally a bustling Palestinian thoroughfare. At one point, a drone flying a Palestinian flag flew overhead and was intercepted.
Ahead of the march, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said that "flying the flag of Israel in the capital of Israel is an obvious thing" and that Israel had made this clear "from the outset." At the same time, he asked participants to celebrate in a "responsible and respectful manner."
Thousands of people normally take part in the march through the Muslim Quarter of the Old City, including some who shout out nationalistic or racist slogans toward the Palestinians, before making their way to the Western Wall in the Jewish Quarter.
Last year, after weeks of Israeli-Palestinian unrest in Jerusalem, authorities changed the route of the march at the last minute to avoid the Muslim Quarter. But despite this, Hamas terrorists in Gaza fired a barrage of rockets toward Jerusalem as the procession was getting underway. That set off 11 days of heavy fighting.
Israel Police Commissioner Yaakov Shabtai arrived at the Western Wall Sunday morning for a situation assessment with district police commanders.
Addressing the meeting, Shabtai said: "The Israel Police is here today on high alert ahead of Jerusalem Day events around the country … and is prepared for any scenario. We are in full control of all fronts and all the events as well as a number of incidents that took place this morning, which were immediately and professionally handled."
Shabtai said: "There is significant intelligence collection that allows us to carry out preventative actions across the country and the intelligence use of reinforcements. We will not allow any inciting or rioting figure to sabotage today's events and violate the law and order. It is important that police officers and fighters act with professionalism, sensitivity, and determination to contend with attempts of provocation by rioters.
Hundreds of Jews ascended the Temple Mount Sunday morning, as hundreds more waited to enter the site. Police were allowing entry to Jews in small groups, resulting in large crowds of people waiting to enter.
Clashes broke out between worshippers and a group of visitors, who threw bottles and chairs at each other, at the site. Police arrested a number of suspects involved in the violence.
Tom Nissani, who heads the Beyadenu – Returning to the Temple Mount organization, said: "At a time when the Jewish people are ascending the Temple Mount en masse, unfortunately, we are once again seeing there is no preparation ahead of this event, and Jews are being forced to ascend the mount in unfitting conditions and under threat. The time has come to understand that the Temple Mount is reverting to its natural place in the Jewish people's conscience and to act accordingly and not allow inciters and terrorists to enter the mount and to open the entrance for Jews at all hours of the day and from every gate to the mount."
In remarks delivered from the Temple Mount, Sunday, World Betar Director-General Yigal Brand said: "Together with thousands of people who are ascending the Temple Mount and the participants in the flag march, we Betar movement members chose to ascend the mount. The national poet Uri Zvi Greenberg determined that those who control the mount, control the country, and there is no doubt that today we understand that better than ever.
"Jerusalem belongs to the Jewish people all year long," he said, noting Betar members would take part in the Flag Dance. "I call on all of the Zionist public to come and take part in the flag march and take part in the holiday for the unified city."
Rioters holed up in the Al-Aqsa Mosque threw large rocks at Israeli officers as Jewish visitors began to arrive at the site Sunday morning, police said.
Arriving at the Jewish holy site, Otzma Yehudit MK Itamar pointed to the rioters and said: "We need to get them out of here. Those who riot and harm the state shouldn't be here. I prove to them that we are landlords in Jerusalem."
On Saturday, Hamas issued a statement calling for Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, and Jerusalem, along with Israel's Arab minority, "to rise up on Sunday to defend Jerusalem and the Al-Aqsa Mosque."
Despite calls for a rethink of the march from some of his left-wing coalition allies, Bennett has refused to countenance any changes.
"The flag parade will be held as usual according to the planned route, as it has been for decades," his office said on Friday, adding that it would review the situation regularly through the coming hours.
Overnight Sunday, police said an explosive device was thrown at undercover Border Police officers operating in the Dheisheh refugee camp in the West bank. One officer sustained light injuries in the incident. According to police, rioters threw rocks and explosive devices at the Border Police officers when they left the camp.
Defense officials have tried to ease tensions ahead of the march. On Saturday night, the commander of the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories Mag. Gen. Ghasan Alyan released a video statement saying the Flag Dance march would not harm the status quo on the Temple Mount. He warned that Israel would respond harshly to any provocations and that another round of violence would harm the recent steps Jerusalem had taken to ease economic conditions in Gaza and the West Bank.
"We are at a time of increasing incitement. I have read the lies and the stories and I am here to make clear: The flag march has been held for over 30 years. It isn't new. The march is held on Jerusalem Day. That isn't new. Even the flag march route isn't new. The status quo in Jerusalem that remains intact for Jews, Muslims, and Christians also aren't new. And we will not allow it to be harmed for anyone's sake," Alyan said in the recorded statement.
Some 10,000 people took part in celebrations marking 55 years to the liberation of Jerusalem at the Western Wall's Old City Saturday night. During the festivities, a 1,000-meter Israeli flag was unfurled at the Western Wall Plaza.
Rabbi of the Western Wall Shmuel Rabinowitz and Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Lion were in attendance at Saturday's events, along with 4,000 youth-movement members. Addressing the crowd, Lion said: "Jerusalem, the capital of Israel, is happy and proud to host these wonderful youths in our beloved city. From here, the holiest place to the Jewish people, we send a prayer of unity, partnership, and brotherhood to all the people of Israel as such and the entire Jewish people. It is a great privilege to stand here with you today on our beloved capital's holiday. I call on all Jews to ascend to Jerusalem and enjoy the wonderful variety our city has to offer."
Video: Moshe Ben Simhon, Yoni Rickner
Rabinowitz thanked "all the generations that came before us, who dreamed of Jerusalem, who wrote of Jerusalem, who swore to return to Jerusalem from Ethiopia, from Hungary, from Yemen, from Spain despite never seeing it. Thanks to you, we have returned home. It is thanks to you that there is prayer here tonight and thanks to you and with God's help, we will get to witness the coming of the messiah and the rebuilding of our temple in our time. Amen."
The Western Wall Heritage Foundation, the Jerusalem Municipality, the Jerusalem and Heritage Ministry, and the Jerusalem Development Authority were involved in organizing the Jerusalem Day events.
The events were held against increasing threats from Hamas and other Palestinian terrorist organizations to disturb the peace during Sunday's planned flag march should participants pass through the Damascus Gate.
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