Israeli Flag March Sparks Violence in East Jerusalem

The Lead-Up to Violence

Uri Weltmann, national field director for Standing Together, an organisation of Jewish and Palestinian peace activists, was tense as he prepared to resist the tens of thousands of far-right Jewish marchers heading for occupied East Jerusalem's Old City.

The Flag March Escalates

The 'Flag March', which takes place every year to celebrate the 1967 capture and subsequent illegal occupation of East Jerusalem, has become an opportunity for thousands to be bussed in from across Israel and the occupied West Bank to participate in the march and attack Palestinians.

The Data Analysis

Police have so far arrested 13 people, including both Jews and Palestinians. Many Palestinian businesses had already closed for the day, fearing attacks and harassment.

The Impact Analysis

The ultranationalist marchers have the full support of the Israeli government. Earlier in the day, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir led a large group of Jewish Israelis into the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, where he displayed the Israeli flag in front of the Dome of the Rock.

The Prediction

The violence and anti-Palestinian rhetoric that characterised 'Jerusalem Day' have already been increasing in tandem with the growth of the far-right ultranationalist movement in Israel. The Religious Zionism movement has been steadily increasing since Israel's disengagement from Gaza in 2005.