Bar-Lev approves nationalist Jerusalem Day “Flag March” parade
NGOs call on the government to cancel the parade immediately.
Jerusalem24– Israeli Minister of Public Security Omar Bar-Lev has granted final approval for a right-wing procession to march through the Old City of Jerusalem including Damascus Gate on Jerusalem Day on 29 May.
The so-called “flag march” is meant to celebrate Israel’s capture and subsequent occupation of East Jerusalem in the 1967 six-day war.
Each year, thousands of Israeli members of far-right groups participate in the march, waving Israeli flags and in some cases, chanting anti-Arab slogans, as they pass by Palestinian onlookers and businesses.
Bar-Lev’s office said the decision was made after consultations with the police, however a number of Israeli NGOs expressed dismay at what they see as an additional provocation after events of recent weeks, including the Israeli police attack on Shireen Abu Akleh’s funeral procession, as well as on the funeral procession of Walid Al-Sharif.
Israeli NGO Fighters for Peace said, “After a series of violent incidents, the Israel Police insists on burning the area once again. We call on the government to cancel the flag parade immediately.”
On Tuesday, extremist settler organization Lehava, which openly calls for the expulsion of Arabs from Palestine, called on its followers to dismantle the Dome of the Rock and establish the so-called Third Temple in its place within the courtyards of Al-Aqsa Mosque.
