Yitzhak Wasserlauf touring the Temple Mount
(Video: Liran Tamari, Minhelet Har Habait)
The Jordanian Foreign Ministry condemned on Thursday the arrival of several coalition members to the Temple Mount.
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"We condemn the approval given to members of the Israeli government and several extreme Knesset members to enter the Temple Mount and the Al-Aqsa compound accompanied by police forces." The statement read.
"We warn against further escalations in light of the provocative march in Jerusalem. Israel has no authority over the holy sites in Jerusalem, as east Jerusalem is occupied Palestinian territory."
Meanwhile, Ultra-Orthodox lawmaker Moshe Gafni, called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to prevent politicians from visiting Temple Mount.
In his message to Netanyahu, Gafni wrote, "I call on you and ask that you prevent further arrivals to Temple Mount out of security concerns and the incitement it causes in the Arab world. The trips don’t demonstrate sovereignty, but desecrate the sanctity of the holiest place for the Jewish people."
On Thursday morning, Development of the Periphery Minister Yitzhak Wasserlauf was among the politicians visiting the site to celebrate Jerusalem Day.
Knesset members from the ruling Likud party also arrived and sang the national anthem, during their visit a move that was condemned by at least one member of their party David Bitan. "You can visit at any time. why choose to go today while tensions continue? We shouldn’t be the ones showing extremism, we should be the ones to calm things down in moments like these."
Meanwhile, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said in a ceremony commemorating Israeli soldiers who were killed in the Six-Day War that “Even today, the IDF is doing whatever is needed to defend Israel and its citizens. Fifty-six years have passed since the IDF liberated Jerusalem’s Old City, and since then, Jerusalem, the eternal capital of the Jewish people, has flourished."
Clashes broke out in Jerusalem’s Old City between a group of 12 Jews and several Arabs. The police dispersed the Jewish group from the area. In addition, the Police’s Jerusalem District commander conducted a final inspection at the Damascus Gate, ahead of the flag march event in Jerusalem.
About 100 political left activists gathered and blocked roads leading to Jerusalem in an attempt to stop participants in the flag march, traveling from the West Bank settlements, from arriving in Jerusalem.
"The Flag March is a spectacle intended to celebrate occupation and supremacy,” the group said. “We see the same thing every year with people shouting demeaning slurs, wishing for the death of Arabs, and causing friction. Because of this, we’re here to prevent the spread of hate with our own bodies from reaching our city."
The police addressed security concerns in the capital ahead of Jerusalem Day, saying that large forces are deployed in the city to secure the various events, which have been proceeding as planned.
According to the police, officers had to intervene to prevent clashes, especially in the Old City area. Additionally, police forces have cleared the roadblock created by the activists and detained 10 of them.
Meanwhile, thousands of people gathered in Lod to celebrate Jerusalem Day with the annual Flag March, which was heavily secured by police forces. Participants gathered dressed in blue and white clothes, with many carrying Israeli flags.
Among those who celebrated in Lod was Rabbi Leo Dee, whose wife and two daughters were killed in a terror shooting attack during Passover. “I came to celebrate Jerusalem’s holiday with the public,” he said. “We celebrate Jerusalem tonight for the world to see.”
After the events of May 2021, in which large riots by Israeli-Arabs broke out after rockets were fired at Israel for Jerusalem Day’s Flag March, the police deployed large forces in the city to respond immediately to any disturbances before losing control.