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Despite some clashes, Jerusalem Day celebrated without major injury

By JTA and TPS

JERUSALEM — Jewish extremists shouted racist slogans and clashed with Palestinians during a heavily policed Jerusalem Day march, but there were no major injuries at an event that last year was among the spurs to a deadly conflict.

Israelis march flags through the Damascus Gate in Jerusalem, May 29 2022. (Ilia Yefimovich/Getty)

Police said 50,000 Jews marched through the Old City on May 29, Jerusalem Day, the Hebrew calendar anniversary of Israel’s capture of the area in the 1967 Six Day War. A record 2,600 Jews visited the Temple Mount, the holiest site in Judaism, which is also the sight of a mosque enclave among the holiest in Islam.
A number of the Jewish marchers shouted “Death to Arabs,” reports said, and “may your villages burn.”

Some Palestinians rushed the marchers, and there were fights. There were reports of minor injuries. Media reported police arrested about 50 people, most Palestinians.

Kann, Israel’s public broadcaster, reported Palestinians stoning vehicles and Jews attacking Palestinians with pepper spray. There were some minor injuries.

The day culminated with tens of thousands of Jews dancing at the Western Wall, the Jewish holy site that is adjacent to the Temple Mount.

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said he would not tolerate Jewish extremists who tried to provoke a conflict and had instructed police to arrest rioters.

“The overwhelming majority of participants have come to celebrate but unfortunately there is a minority that has come to set the area ablaze, take advantage of the government’s strong position against Hamas threats, and trying to use force in order to ignite a conflict,” he said.

A number of marchers hoisted Israeli flags when they reached the Temple Mount, something that Hamas, the terrorist organization controlling the Gaza Strip, had warned could provoke rocket attacks. Israel’s Iron Dome antimissile system reportedly is on alert.

Hamas used the planned Jerusalem Day celebration last year as among its pretexts for launching rockets into Israel, sparking an 11-day conflict in which more than 230 Palestinians and 12 Israelis were killed.

TPS spoke with march participants. Barbara Schwerd, 65, said she participates in the Flag Parade every year. “We celebrate the miracle of the liberation of Jerusalem,” she says. “It’s really wonderful. Dancing, singing, unbridled celebration. I would never miss it.”

Israel has been celebrating Jerusalem’s reunification in 1967 after 19 years of Jordanian occupation. Jerusalem Day became a national holiday one year later.

The traditional Flag Parade in the Old City is a central feature of the celebration. The parade is also the central feature of discord.

For the past decades, the parade passed without incident — as was the case with this year’s parade.

Schwerd likes to stand on Agron St., part of the parade route before entering the Old City. “I love to watch the beautiful kids marching by and singing. Thanking G-d and loving being together in celebration.”

David Waimann, CEO of the organization Oz veShalom, is in favor of celebrating the glories of Jerusalem, but he thinks the flag parade is “immoral and a provocation to the Muslims who are sensitive to Jewish displays of victory over the Arabs.” Therefore, it should not be allowed, he said.

He goes as far as to argue that it is one of the causes of last year’s conflict, the 11-day Operation Guardian of the Walls in May, 2021.

“We saw what happened when there was a flag parade and there was a war and people died,” he said.
Though the route was modified last year out of security consideration, Hamas still launched missiles at Jerusalem during the parade, ending it shortly after it had begun.

This opened the Guardian of the Walls military operation that included Muslim hostilities against Jews throughout Israel’s cities with a sizeable Arab population.

This year, the parade proceeded along the traditional route in spite of potential security issues.

Two hours before the Parade started, Jaffa Street, which stretches the length of central Jerusalem, was dotted with clusters of thousands of young people carrying flags and singing their way toward the Old City. Their energy was infectious.

In contrast, a small group of about 40 people gathered solemnly at Safra Sqaure near City Hall under the auspices of Tag Meir, a coalition of 48 organizations and institutions in Israel. Tag Meir was holding its eighth annual Flower Parade. They marched to the Old City to hand out flowers to Arab shop owners and make a few purchases.

While religiously observant Schwerd marched together with those carrying the Israeli flag and singing Israeli songs, she agreed in part with those handing out flowers.

“This is our country, we are the indigenous people. We are back. Let us be full of joy without insulting others,” said Schwerd.

“We can express our incredible love of the land and we have to be smart and figure out how to be inclusive of everyone who loves the land.

“I’m not going to compromise my land; on the other hand, we can live together here in the most empowering way with dignity for everyone.”



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