Thousands of far-right Israelis clashed with Palestinians, left-wing Israelis, and journalists on Monday during Jerusalem’s annual “Flag March,” marking Israel’s 1967 capture of East Jerusalem.
Witnesses said young marchers, many from West Bank settlements, harassed Palestinian shopkeepers, chanted “Death to Arabs,” and assaulted journalists in the Old City’s Palestinian neighborhoods. Israeli police mostly stood by.
The violence followed far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir’s visit to the Al-Aqsa mosque compound earlier in the day, which the Palestinian presidency and Jordan condemned as a provocation.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, addressing a cabinet meeting in East Jerusalem, said Jerusalem would remain Israel’s “united and eternal capital.”
The Palestinian presidency said Israel’s ongoing Gaza war and repeated incursions into Al-Aqsa threatened regional stability.
East Jerusalem remains a flashpoint. Most countries see it as occupied territory; Israel considers it part of its capital.