Controversial ‘Flag March’ kicks off in Jerusalem as Hamas makes threats

Thousands of right-wing nationalists Israelis gathered in East Jerusalem on Thursday for the annual “Flag March”, celebrating Israel’s capture of the holy city in 1967. 

The march, mostly attended by ultranationalist and religious Jews, was set to pass through most of the Old City in East Jerusalem, including the Muslim Quarter.

More than 3,000 police officers were deployed throughout the city to avoid any clashes.

Hamas threatened that a “response” would inevitably come to the “Zionist Flag March.” Hamas, as well as most Palestinians, see the “Flag March” as a provocation, as they consider East Jerusalem a part of a future Palestinian state. Previous years have seen numerous incidents of ultranationalist Jews attacking Palestinians verbally and physically.

“Death to Arabs” and “may your village burn” are among the chants used by the most hard-core participants.

Several right-wing ministers were expected to participate in the march, including Transportation Minister Miri Regev who was seen dancing and singing with other participants in front of Damascus earlier in the day.

Prior to the march, a number of ministers and lawmakers ascended to the Temple Mount, where the Al Aqsa mosque is located. Negev and Galilee Minister Yitzhak Wasserlauf, Jewish Power lawmaker Yitzhak Kroizer and Likud lawmaker Ariel Kallner, Dan Illouz, Amit Halevi visited the holy site, which has been a flashpoint in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict for decades.

Their visit, however, was criticised by senior Likud lawmaker David Bitan, who said: “It is not proper for Likud lawmakers to visit the Temple Mount. This is not what should be done. People have become extremists. Netanyahu could have called them and told them not to go.”

United Torah Judaism lawmaker Moshe Gafni also criticised their visit, asking Netanyahu to prevent them from ascending to the Temple Mount, as it’s forbidden according to some of the most senior Rabbis in Israel.

The “Flag March” in East Jerusalem comes just days after a five-day conflict between Islamic Jihad and Israel.

In 2021, Hamas launched rockets at Jerusalem during “Flag March” after weeks of clashes between Israelis and Palestinians on the Al-Aqsa compound in East Jerusalem.

Israel retaliated by launching a military campaign against Hamas in Gaza, ending in an 11-day-long conflict.

With Hamas firing rockets from Gaza and Lebanon after this year’s Al-Aqsa clashes during Ramadan and Passover, the potential for a re-run of 2021 has been flagged by Israeli security experts.