Israeli nationalists chant ‘death to Arabs’ in violent Jerusalem Day march
The Guardian • • world
Key Points:
- Israeli nationalists held a state-sponsored march in Jerusalem marking the anniversary of the city's capture and annexation, chanting extremist slogans such as “death to the Arabs” and “Gaza is a graveyard.”
- The event escalated tensions as national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir unfurled an Israeli flag in front of the al-Aqsa mosque, challenging the long-standing status quo that prohibits non-Muslim prayer at the site.
- Prior to the march, most Palestinians in the Muslim quarter had closed shops and left, but clashes occurred between far-right Jewish groups and remaining Palestinian residents, requiring police intervention.
- Counter-protesters from the Jewish group Standing Together, including some religious Jews, sought to protect Palestinians from violence, emphasizing the risks involved in opposing the marchers.
- Ben-Gvir declared on social media that raising the Israeli flag on the Temple Mount symbolized the return of Israeli governance to the site, intensifying concerns about changes to its sensitive status.