JERUSALEM (AP) — Hundreds of ultranationalist Israelis marched thru a delicate Palestinian house of Jerusalem on Wednesday in an annual procession, chanting racist slogans as the rustic’s far-right nationwide safety minister boasted that Jews had prayed freely at a key holy website within the town in violation of decades-old understandings.The feedback by way of Itamar Ben-Gvir and the march in Jerusalem, the emotional middle of the Israeli-Palestinian warfare, threatened to stoke already prime tensions that experience gripped the area for the reason that get started of the conflict in Gaza. The once a year march, noticed by way of Palestinians as provocative, helped spark off an 11-day conflict in Gaza 3 years in the past.Marchers convening out of doors the Damascus Gate of Jerusalem’s historical Outdated Town, a central amassing position for Palestinians in east Jerusalem, chanted “Demise to Arabs” and different anti-Arab and anti-Islamic slogans. They danced and waved Israeli flags because the procession kicked off.
Ben-Gvir, who used to be as soon as at the fringes of Israeli politics however now holds a key place in Top Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s executive, had insisted that the march practice its conventional direction throughout the Palestinian house, in spite of tensions surging on account of the conflict. Marchers entered the Muslim Quarter of the Outdated Town thru Damascus Gate and ended on the Western Wall, the holiest position the place Jews can pray.
The police wired that the march would no longer input the sprawling Al-Aqsa mosque compound, the 3rd holiest website in Islam. The hilltop on which it stands is the holiest website for Jews, who check with it because the Temple Mount as it used to be the site of the Jewish temples in antiquity.
However activists mentioned loads of Jews had visited the compound previous within the day, and Ben-Gvir mentioned they prayed there freely, following what he mentioned used to be his personal coverage that authorized prayer there. Since Israel captured the website in 1967, Jews were allowed to discuss with however no longer pray there. Perceived encroachments at the website have spark off common violence on quite a few events going again many years.
“Jews prayed at the Temple Mount. That is the minister’s coverage,” Ben-Gvir instructed the Galey Israel radio station.Netanyahu mentioned there have been no alternate to the understandings on the holy website that avoided Jewish prayer there.Ben-Gvir has lengthy known as for better Jewish get entry to to the holy website and has visited it time and again as a minister. Palestinians believe the mosque a countrywide image and look at such visits as provocative and as a possible precursor to Israel seizing keep an eye on over the compound. Maximum rabbis forbid Jews from praying at the website, however there was a rising motion in recent times of Jews who make stronger worship there.The once a year march commemorates “Jerusalem Day,” which marks Israel’s seize of east Jerusalem, together with the Outdated Town and its holy websites sacred to Jews, Christians and Muslims, within the 1967 Mideast conflict. Israel considers all of Jerusalem to be its capital, however its annexation of east Jerusalem isn’t across the world identified. The Palestinians, who search east Jerusalem because the capital of a long term state, see the march as a provocation.
Simply earlier than the march started, crowds scuffled with police and threw plastic bottles at a journalist dressed in a vest with the phrase PRESS emblazoned on it. Police mentioned they arrested 18 marchers “on suspicion of violent crimes, attack and threats and disorderly behavior.”Police mentioned they deployed 3,000 safety body of workers to make sure calm and have been noticed arresting a number of Palestinian males earlier than the march were given underway, main them away with their palms certain at the back of their backs.Ben-Gvir mentioned the march despatched a message to Hamas.“We’re turning in a message from right here to Hamas: Jerusalem is ours. Damascus Gate is ours,” he instructed marchers originally of the rally. “And with God’s lend a hand general victory is ours,” Ben-Gvir mentioned, regarding the conflict in Gaza, which he has demanded that Israel proceed till Hamas is defeated. Commenting at the march, Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh mentioned “our other folks won’t relaxation till the career is long past and an unbiased Palestinian state is established, with Jerusalem as its capital.”
The march used to be happening as tensions over the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza are prime. The conflict started with Hamas’ Oct. 7 assault into southern Israel, during which militants killed some 1,200 other folks, most commonly civilians, and kidnapped round 250 hostages. Israel replied with a large offensive that has killed over 36,000 Palestinians, consistent with native well being officers, displaced many of the territory’s inhabitants and brought about common destruction.The USA has thrown its weight at the back of a phased cease-fire and hostage unlock defined by way of President Joe Biden remaining week. However Israel says it gained’t finish the conflict with out destroying Hamas, whilst the militant staff is not easy a long-lasting cease-fire and the entire withdrawal of Israeli forces. ___Follow AP’s conflict protection at
