JERUSALEM (AP) — Thousands of far-right Israeli nationalists marched through sensitive Palestinian areas of Jerusalem in their annual march Wednesday, chanting racist slogans, as the country’s far-right national security minister boasted that Jews were free to pray at an important holy site in the city in violation of a decades-old understanding.
comment Itamar Ben Gvir The demonstrations in Jerusalem, the emotional epicenter of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, threatened to further escalate tensions in the region that have already risen since the start of the war in Gaza. The annual demonstrations, seen as provocative by Palestinians, 11-day war in Gaza 3 years ago.
Marchers gathered outside Damascus Gate in Jerusalem’s historic Old City, a central Palestinian rallying point in East Jerusalem, chanting anti-Arab and anti-Muslim slogans, including “Death to the Arabs.” They danced and waved Israeli flags as the march began.
Ben Gvir, once a fringe figure in Israeli politics but now a key figure in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, had insisted that the march should follow its traditional route through Palestinian territory despite rising tensions from the war: through Damascus Gate, into the Muslim quarter of the Old City and end at the Western Wall, the holiest place where Jews can pray.
Police stressed that the procession would not enter the vast Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, Islam’s third holiest site, atop a hill the mosque stands on that is the holiest site for Jews, who call it the Temple Mount because it is the site of their ancient Jewish temple.
But activists said hundreds of Jews had visited the site earlier in the day, and Ben Gvir said they were free to pray there, in accordance with his policy allowing them to do so.
Since Israel occupied the site in 1967, Jews have been allowed to visit but not pray there. If they are suspected of invading the site, Widespread violence Many times, going back several decades.
“Jews prayed on the Temple Mount. This is the minister’s policy,” Ben Gvir told Galei Israel radio station.
Netanyahu said there would be no change to the understanding at the holy site, where Jews are banned from praying.
Ben Gville has been a Access to Jewish holy sites “The mosque is a symbol of Palestinian nationalism, and Israel has repeatedly visited it as a pastor. Palestinians see it as a national symbol and see such visits as provocative and a possible precursor to Israel taking control of the mosque. Most rabbis forbid Jews from praying there, but in recent years there has been a growing Jewish movement in support of worship at the site.”
The annual march marks “Jerusalem Day,” which commemorates Israel’s capture of east Jerusalem, including the Old City and holy sites sacred to Jews, Christians and Muslims, in the 1967 Mideast war.
Israel considers all of Jerusalem its capital, but its annexation of East Jerusalem is not internationally recognised. Palestinians, who want East Jerusalem to become the capital of their future state, see the demonstrations as a provocation.
Just before the protest began, the crowd scuffled with police, throwing plastic bottles at a journalist wearing a vest with the word “PRESS” written on it. Police said they had arrested 18 protesters on “suspicion of violent crimes, assault, intimidation and disturbance of peace.”
Police said they had deployed 3,000 security personnel to keep the peace and that they had arrested several Palestinian men before the demonstration began, and were seen taking them away with their hands tied behind their backs.
Ben Gvir said the demonstration sent a message to Hamas.
“We are sending a message to Hamas from here: Jerusalem is ours. Damascus Gate is ours,” Ben Gvir told participants at the start of the rally. “And with God’s help, complete victory is ours,” he said, referring to the war in Gaza, where he has called for Israel to continue the war until Hamas is defeated.
Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said of the protests: “Our people will not rest until the occupation is ended and an independent Palestinian state is established with Jerusalem as its capital.”
The demonstrations came amid rising tensions over the war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, which began with a Hamas attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7 in which militants killed about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took about 250 hostage. Israel responded with a massive offensive that has killed more than 36,000 Palestinians, forced much of the Gaza Strip’s population to flee, and caused widespread destruction, according to local health officials.
The United States is committed Gradual ceasefire and hostage release President Joe Biden outlined the plan last week, but Israel has said it will not end the war until Hamas is destroyed, while Hamas has demanded a permanent ceasefire and a complete withdrawal of Israeli troops.
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