Over 3,000 police officers, Border Police soldiers and volunteers are securing the route of Wednesday's flag parade, which is expected to pass through the Damascus Gate, but right-wing activists have already managed to confront Muslims in the Old City, and even attacked journalists. Thousands of participants are expected to participate in the late afternoon march, including Knesset members and ministers.
In the last few hours, even before the parade began, far-right activists began walking around the Old City and confronting Muslims and even journalists. AFP footage shows young men attacking and surrounding a Palestinian journalist named Saif Qawasmi. Some were injured in the riots. Haaretz journalist Nir Hasson was also attacked at the Nablus Gate by youths. "The worst attack I've had in all my years as a journalist; For 30 seconds they kicked me while I was lying on the floor," he said.
Police evicted journalists from the Damascus Gate area, but did not deal with the youths and others who attacked them.
Even before the start of the march, boys walking around the city sang: "Muhammad is dead", "May your village burn", and "I hate all Arabs."
At the same time, more than 1,500 Jews went up to the Temple Mount on Wednesday in honor of Jerusalem day. Many of them donned tefillin and even waved Israeli flags at the site.
The operation is overseen by Jerusalem District Commander Deputy Commissioner Doron Turgeman. This is the last major event under his command, as he announced his intention to retire from service several weeks ago.
The traditional march, which has been held for decades, will start from the city’s center and proceed to the Western Wall through the gates of the Old City. The police announced they "will secure the crowd, regulate pedestrian and vehicle traffic, and maintain routine."
The police’s main concern is the potential for clashes with locals at the Damascus Gate and with business owners on Al Wad Street. Police guidelines for the event detailed that once the marchers reach the gate, Israeli flags with poles longer than one meter will be prohibited. Another precondition for the event was the police's request that organizers engage in dialogue with opinion leaders and marchers about preventing order disruptions.
Flag March 2024
(Video Gil Yochanan)
After pressure from National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, the police decided the march would pass through the volatile Damascus Gate route despite the ongoing war in Gaza. The police note there was no intelligence indicating any intention to disrupt the orderly march through central Jerusalem and that "arson attempts are lower than in previous years."
The police also explained that "all events and scenarios for various possible incidents taken into account, including the possibility of rocket fire aimed toward the city during the march.”
An unusual incident took place on Wednesday when a social activist ascended the Temple Mount while wearing tefillin, a Jewish religious symbol.
Tom Nisani, head of the Beyadeinu organization working to encourage Jews to ascend the mount, said, "Our enemies' plot has failed. Instead of flooding Al-Aqsa, the Jewish people are filling the Temple Mount in masses on Jerusalem Day to prove we can’t be defeated.”
“Although dozens of Jews have already been detained on the mount this morning, this discrimination won’t prevent us from continuing to establish our sovereignty at the holiest place for the Jewish people. This is the resounding answer to all the images of the mosque in Hamas members' homes,” he added.