At present is the Israeli vacation of Jerusalem Day.
It marks the conclusion of the 1967 conflict and the beginning of the unlawful Israeli occupation of the West Financial institution and East Jerusalem, which Israelis declare because the “reunification” of Jerusalem.
Official ceremonies and memorials are being staged throughout Israel to mark the day.
Chief amongst these is the controversial Dance of the Flags, or the Flag March, to make use of its extra trendy time period.
Participation has swollen through the years, from a couple of college students who accompanied Zionist chief Rabbi Zvi Yehuda Kook in 1967, to 70,000 predominantly younger nationalist Israelis who took half within the occasion two years in the past that was all however outlined by its violence.
Am KeLavi, a gaggle which organises the march, says it anticipates between 60,000 and 100,000 individuals to attend immediately’s occasion, with the households of these killed within the Hamas-led assault of October 7 anticipated to play distinguished roles.
Final yr’s march – following a ceasefire brokered after 5 days of hostilities between the Israeli military and Palestinian factions – handed with out main incident, although there have been remoted assaults on Palestinians.
Tens of 1000’s anticipated to march
Tens of 1000’s of far proper and nationalist marchers are anticipated to march by way of the Muslim Quarter of Jerusalem’s Previous Metropolis, accompanied by cell orchestras on the again of vans. In earlier years, they’ve shouted anti-Palestinian chants, similar to “Dying to Arabs,” and “Could your village burn,” whereas attacking residents.
In 2022, marchers unleashed violence and pepper spray on residents of the Previous Metropolis, wounding at the least 79 Palestinians, 28 of whom required hospital therapy.
The earlier yr, rockets fired by Hamas into the town triggered 11 days of hostilities.
May they take one other route?
The route of the march has all the time been a supply of controversy, each inside Israel and abroad.
There are two routes. Each take marchers from central Jerusalem to the Western Wall.
One passes by way of Dung Gate into the Previous Metropolis, whereas the second passes by way of Damascus Gate and into the Muslim Quarter.
Shai Rosengarten, deputy director of right-wing advocacy group Im Tirtzu which is marching immediately, mentioned the route by way of the Previous Metropolis is just not a provocation, however fairly the “pure and historic proper” of the Jewish individuals.
“In each home that troopers go in Gaza, they discover photos of the Al-Aqsa Mosque on the Temple Mount, Hamas known as the [October 7] operation the Al-Aqsa Flood,” he mentioned in an announcement yesterday.
“Tomorrow, with God’s assist, we’ll fill Jerusalem with a flood of Israeli flags, strengthen the spirit of the individuals and remind the Center East that we’re right here to remain,” he concluded.
And the police?
Ultraorthodox provocateur and Nationwide Safety Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, will probably be overseeing 3,000 cops deployed, ostensibly to keep up order.
He has additionally introduced his intention to take an energetic half in immediately’s march, nevertheless.
Somewhat than promising legislation and order, he has threatened to divert the march to make use of it to occupy the Al-Aqsa Mosque, one of many holiest websites in Islam, positioned inside a compound recognized to Jews as Temple Mount.
“We have to hit them in a very powerful place for them. Yearly, they mentioned that it wasn’t applicable and it wasn’t the time. However the reverse is true. If we give floor to them we get an October 7,” Ben-Gvir instructed Israel’s Military Radio.
“We have to come and say the Temple Mount is ours and Jerusalem is ours. If we see ourselves because the homeowners of the world, our enemies will respect us,” he mentioned.
Along with the attendance of police, who function below Ben-Gvir’s directions, the Jerusalem municipality helps to pay for Am KeLavi.
As well as, funds come from the Ministry of Training and the Society for the Rehabilitation and Growth of the Jewish Quarter.
Do all Israelis help this?
The march is just not universally common and nonetheless faces resistance from the shrinking ranks of Israel’s liberal and left-wing sphere.
An editorial in Israeli newspaper Haaretz branded the march “a pageant of ugly Jewish thuggery” whereas Laura Wharton, a member of the Jerusalem Metropolis Council and a part of the left-wing Meretz social gathering, was quoted within the media saying: “I’m horrified that whereas we’re at conflict, making an attempt to defend our borders, we’re backing such a provocative occasion.”
Additionally attending the march will probably be activists from the organisation Standing Collectively, who will probably be bringing dozens of volunteers to guard Palestinians from any violence by each marchers and probably the police.