Someone has to stop the insanity. Just like every other capital around the world, Jerusalem hosts mass marches. Of those held in the capital, the Flag Dance march is one of the oldest and most beautiful. Tens of thousands of religious Zionist youths, usually dressed in white, walk the streets of the eternal city, the same city generations of Jews have prayed toward. There is nothing wrong with that.
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The only ones angered by the march are the last remnants of the Arab nation who continue to dream of wiping out the Jewish state. A majority of them reside in Israel and refuse to accept the ruler of the land. That is why they depict a beautiful march that represents the love of a people for their land as a provocation.
Unfortunately, too many Israelis are falling for this garbage. Instead of rejecting the threats of violence outright, they take them into consideration and are even willing to surrender to them. Worse still, for some reason, the diplomatic echelon discusses considerations for holding the march and on what route with foreign countries. That is unacceptable.
Does it sound reasonable to you for a country to ask its neighbors for permission to hold a march in its capital? Do Jordan, Egypt, or Qatar, update Israel on mass events in their territories? Does London, Paris, or Madrid receive authorization in advance from Washington for their marches, parades, and celebrations? When it comes to the flag march, things have gotten downright bizarre. And it's not paying off for us either.
Deterred by Hamas, then-Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu determined the flag march would not pass through Damascus Gate in 2021. Yet two hours later, we nevertheless sustained a rocket attack on Jerusalem. Meaning we once again discovered that giving into terror achieved the opposite of the desired result.
The time has therefore come to restore a little sanity to the chaos. No foreign entity, terrorist or legitimate, has a right to intervene in what goes on in Israel's capital. Threats of violence cannot determine where we go in our country. We have every right to move securely anywhere in Jerusalem, including the Damascus Gate.
This tough approach is the only way to begin to put the genie back in the bottle.
Fifty years to the unification of the city and the return of the Jewish people to its holy sites now is the perfect time to remind everyone that we are still here. Paratroopers entered the Old City from the Lions' Gate. Their children and grandchildren will follow in their footsteps and continue the historic movement of Israeli sovereignty all across Jerusalem.
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