Thousands of mostly young Israelis march through Jerusalem’s Old City during the annual Jerusalem Day parade, as Israeli nationalists and ultranationalists shout anti-Palestinian and racist slogans, including threats such as “Death to Arabs” and references to Palestinians’ villages burning. Multiple outlets describe many Palestinian residents staying indoors and keeping shops closed during the march, with some streets and entrances reportedly barricaded. The demonstrations and chanting add to existing tensions in the area, where Palestinian presence and Israeli commemorations often overlap.
Organizers frame the march as a celebration of Israel’s control of Jerusalem following the 1967 Arab-Israeli war, when Israel captured and then annexed east Jerusalem, calling the event “reunification.” France 24 notes that the annexation of east Jerusalem is not recognized by the United Nations and that the UN considers it illegal under international law. The reports do not present a single unified account of violence, but Al Jazeera describes the episode as fueling tensions with violence against Palestinian residents.
