Jerusalem Day march will go through Muslim Quarter of Old City
It looks like the Jerusalem Day march this year will go through the Old City's Muslim Quarter as it has before:
Israeli leaders vowed Friday that they would not be intimidated by threats of violence from Palestinian terror groups over Sunday’s contentious Jerusalem Day Flag March, which will go ahead as planned through the Old City’s Muslim Quarter as in the past.The opponents of this march don't see it as a "provocation". That's just their excuse for behaving violently and blaming the victim. The organizers of the march did the right thing to stand firm on these grounds. Barring anybody from an area based on race is offensive, and if this march had been restricted, they would only be legitimizing racial discrimination.
“We will hold whatever kind of march we want to in our capital,” said Defense Minister Benny Gantz in a message of warning to Hamas. “You will not threaten our sovereignty.” [...]
Sunday marks Jerusalem Day, the anniversary of the unification of the city during the 1967 Six Day War. Israeli nationalists mark the day with an annual march of flag-waving participants, which usually proceeds via Damascus Gate through the Old City’s densely populated Muslim Quarter and to the Western Wall.
The parade’s route is fraught, with opponents seeing its procession through the Muslim Quarter as a provocation, and supporters seeing it as an expression of Israel’s sovereignty over Jerusalem.
Prime Minister Naftali Bennett also said Friday that the route would go through the Muslim Quarter as planned. Apparently seeking to defuse calls by terror groups to Palestinians to defend Al-Aqsa Mosque atop the Temple Mount from the nationalist marchers, Bennett noted that the parade does not go to the Temple Mount.
Speaking after a security consultation with top law enforcement officials, including Public Security Minister Omer Barlev and Police Commissioner Kobi Shabtai, Bennett noted that the march will end at the Western Wall as usual. [...]
In anticipation of Sunday, the Border Police called up three units — a total of 200 reservists — who underwent 24 hours of refresher training, including crowd dispersal methods, and mental preparedness for the event, a spokesperson said.
Police have already announced that they will be on their highest state of alert and mobilize over 3,000 officers in Jerusalem.
Labels: anti-semitism, dhimmitude, islam, Israel, Jerusalem, jihad, Knesset, terrorism
