Jerusalem again faced scenes of tension, racism, and violence as thousands of ultra-nationalist Jewish demonstrators took to the streets on Thursday. A march through the Palestinian main street in the Old City carried banners and chants, delivering messages that many perceived as hostile and provocative. A sizable portion of the participants appeared to be adolescents, drawn into a loud chorus that included hostile cries toward Palestinians. Among the crowd were several aides and ministers from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s governing coalition, alongside some of the movement’s most vocal supporters.
Palestinian traders in the Old City were asked to close their shops in the early afternoon. Police presence, estimated at around three thousand officers, was deployed across the city to manage crowd control and safeguard the march. Throughout the route, some radicals shouted insults at Palestinians and engaged in verbal and physical clashes. Residents reported moments when Israeli security forces appeared to protect the march participants, rather than the local residents being targeted.
demonstration in Gaza
Meanwhile, Israeli security agencies remained alert for potential retaliatory actions from the Gaza Strip. Calls to ban the Flag March were echoed by various parties, while Palestinian groups such as Palestinian Islamic Jihad urged a ceasefire after several days of recent fighting. Hamas warned that the march would provoke a strong response and urged the Palestinian people to resist using force by radical elements within Israeli society. A senior Hamas official stated that the Zionist flag march would not go unchallenged, and hundreds of Gazans demonstrated against the event.
The route reached one of the city’s most tense junctions near the Damask Gate, a traditional point of access to the Muslim Quarter. The crowd from the Old City began singing and dancing religious songs in front of Palestinians present, disrupting usual shopping patterns that Thursdays typically bring before the weekend. Some participants shouted pro-Israel slogans and, in several instances, invoked hostile chants. Reports indicated the presence of individuals linked to far-right movements, including groups that oppose intercommunity relationships and the mixing of Jews and Palestinians.
Egypt and United Arab Emirates complaints
Throughout the tense day, ministers and deputies made their way into conference spaces and corridors, despite concerns that violence could flare again. Egypt condemned the events as an attack and described the provocations as part of an irresponsible escalation that worsened tensions with Palestinians. The United Arab Emirates issued a similarly strong condemnation of what it called extremist actions, urging an end to provocative violations around sacred spaces while encouraging journalists to proceed with caution.
Jerusalem was described as a city of enduring significance by the participants. The National Security Minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, arrived amid loud applause and remarked on the large turnout. The Finance Minister and other coalition figures attended as well, reinforcing the sense of national pride among supporters. A representative of one party voiced that the event marked a historic moment, asserting that the achievement of controlling Jerusalem represented a major victory over those who oppose it. This sentiment reflected the broader political narrative surrounding the celebration, as it was framed by supporters as a key milestone rather than a mere ceremony [citation: contemporary regional coverage].