Israel’s flag march day is on Jerusalem Day, which is the day that Israel celebrates the reunification of Jerusalem after the 1967 Six-Day War. The flag march is a controversial event, as it passes through the Muslim Quarter of the Old City, which is a sensitive area.
Image | Quique Kierszenbaum/The Guardian
Recently, netizens around the world who are monitoring the real situation happening during the flag march in Jerusalem on Thursday said, many Palestinians were attacked unprovoked and for no reason by Israeli ultra-nationalists who paraded in their thousands through the road. They’re disgusted by the scenes.
“Death to Arabs” is the main chant being used by the nationalists. A huge number of images of violence are being circulated across all social media about it. Let’s read some comments about the ugly truth of this so-called flag march celebration from the eyes of the netizens.
Image | REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun
Prof Hector Luis Roche, MD.
It’s appalling how far the Zionist state of “Israel” will go to impose their narrative. Is a historical record that Jerusalem never was part of Israel state or Judea State, was an autonomic State, when the Syrians destroy Israel Judea absolved the territories and annexed Jerusalem, this happens during the time of King David and Solomon’s reign.
But they continued benefiting from the autonomic rights of being a religious center. Now the Zionists are European Jude furthermore, probably descendants of the lost 10 tribes of Israel State, that moved to what is today Central Asia a never came back before WWII, now by magic, they came asking for humanity from the Palestinian people and in 1948 they start repression’s, mass murders, cleansing and promoting apartheid from the same people that welcome them to their land.
To make it worst now they are focused on Jerusalem the holy land of all Abrahamic religions. They are completely out of touch with History and fundamental human rights, and against the will of Allah (God), with Pure madness and arrogance. Zionism is not a religion is a political movement created by ultra-right views, and that’s the main reason England and many European states after WWII, did not want them in their countries and conspired to recognize The Balfour Declaration that was a public statement issued by the British government in 1917 during the First World War announcing its support for the establishment of a “national home for the Jewish people” in Palestine, then an Ottoman region with a small minority Jewish population.
The declaration was contained in a letter dated 2 November 1917 from the United Kingdom’s Foreign Secretary Arthur Balfour to Lord Rothschild, a leader of the British Jewish community, for transmission to the Zionist Federation of Great Britain and Ireland. The text of the declaration was published in the press on 9 November 1917. Belfor and England under the support of the U.N. wants to divide Palestine and keep Zionism out of Europe, which was part of the deal with England after WWII.
Khalid Abureyal
Does this sound like a democratic state? Or does it fit the exact definition of an apartheid state?
Here’s the internationally known definition of an apartheid regime;
“Apartheid refers to the implementation and maintenance of a system of legalized racial segregation in which one racial group is deprived of political and civil rights. Apartheid is a crime against humanity punishable under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.”
Images | Khalid Abureyal
Is this the “Our shared values” that our USA officials keep on repeating, as the reason for our government’s unconditional support of the zionist apartheid regime with full impunity?
Let’s examine the following two events that took place, this week, and be the judge……
On May 18, 2023, while chanting death to Arabs and using the most racist and disgusting profanities directed at Palestinians, zionists colonial settlers march through the occupied territories of east Jerusalem, holding the apartheid’s regime flag, protected by the apartheid regime’s armed forces. In addition, settlers physically attacked and injured many Palestinian civilians and in some cases, the zionists apartheid occupation regime’s armed forces joined in attacking unarmed Palestinian civilians.
On the other hand, two days ago, the apartheid’s parliament approved the first reading of a proposed new bill prohibiting the display of the Palestinian flag, anywhere in the occupied territories. If it gets fully approved, displaying the Palestinian flag becomes a crime, subject to fines and jail time of up to several years in prison.
Jewish Voice For Peace
Today, Israeli settlers rampaged through occupied Jerusalem in a march designed to assert dominion over Palestinian space in the city. Enabled and supported by police and the state, thousands of settlers held Israeli flags, yelled genocidal chants, and committed violence and destruction against Palestinians.
This “Flag March” happens on Jerusalem Day, the anniversary of Israel’s 1967 military occupation of Jerusalem and the West Bank. It celebrates Jewish supremacy over Palestinians and their land. Marchers advocate for Palestinian genocide and attack Palestinian passersby. Some will write off the genocidal views and actions of Zionists in the “Flag March” as “extreme.” They’re “extreme” in their inhumanity—but they aren’t fringe. They’re protected by Israeli police and enabled by the state.
Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israel’s Security Minister, expanded the route of this year’s march to ensure even more Palestinians living in East Jerusalem are subject to violent intimidation. Israeli military increased restrictions on Palestinians’ movement, forcing the over 20,000 residents of Jerusalem’s Muslim quarter into curfew while settler mobs rampaged through their neighborhood.
This Jerusalem Day follows the Israeli military’s deadly 5-day-long bombing of Palestinians in besieged Gaza. These horrific attacks targeted Palestinians in one of the most densely populated parts of the world and killed at least 33 Palestinians and 7 children.
These expressions of nationalism lay bare the goals of Zionism: total subjugation of Palestinians to ensure a state that will always uphold Jewish supremacy. This march falls days after the commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the Nakba, and the violence we’re seeing right now further shows that the Nakba never ended. Israeli settlers ensure its terror lives on as they brutalize Palestinians to promote Jewish supremacy.
Ben-Gvir clarified the march’s racist intentions: “To allow the complete freedom of movement for Jews in Jerusalem,” which is, of course, done at Palestinians’ expense. No one should experience this. Palestinians deserve to live their lives uninterrupted by racist intimidation designed to force them from their homes. We will keep fighting for a future without Zionism, where Palestinians—and everyone—can live peacefully and safely. Keep your eyes on Jerusalem and your hearts with the Palestinians there as they endure and resist this horrifying march.
Naks Bilal Vangahun
Palestine/Israel: Security | Defence [Overview and Analysis]. The next possible pinch point: Israel’s Flag Day March – Today, 18th May. Every year Israelis march through Jerusalem to mark their success in occupying Jerusalem following the 1967 6-Day War.
In recent years the march has given way to more far-right elements. Last year saw intense moments of extremist Israelis chanting “Death to Arabs!” and “Nakba Two!”.
In 2021, the Biden administration requested Netanyahu to reroute the march, so as to avoid the Arab/Muslim quarter. Netanyahu agreed.
But that year saw rockets from Gaza, as Israeli provocation was viewed from a multilayered perspective; Sheikh Jarrah evictions, Flag March, Border Police desecrating Masjid al-Aqsa. None of those factors are present this year.
This year; the Flag March will go ahead, but will pass through the Arab/Muslim quarter via Damascus Gate.
An extremist settler group, Haikel, has, however, for the first time in its history called for the march to storm through Al-Aqsa.
A significant escalation.
During Israel’s war on Gaza against PIJ last week, Hamas had made clear (along with PIJ listing it as a ceasefire condition, eventually not agreed to) the danger of letting the Flag March proceed.
However, this may have been an oversight on Israel’s part, as Hamas has warned that the Flag March/Jerusalem was not included in the ceasefire agreement, reaffirming that the campaign for Jerusalem will be “more powerful, on a wide scale and with high firepower and will not be limited to one front, the Gaza front.”
Netanyahu has said “The march will take place according to its route, arrangement and course” adding “I do not think that any of the factions will try to challenge us, and who will try to harm us, your blood is spilled.”
In preparation for the march, the following measures/escalatory words have been established:
- 37 Jews and Muslims have been arrested in prep.
- Security Minister Ben-Gvir says: “haven’t decided if I will storm Al-Aqsa yet”
- Iron Dome batteries have been moved to Jerusalem, with the State of Alert raised in Occupied Territories.
- 3,200 additional Border Police officers have been deployed
- Hamas and the Committee of Palestinian Scholars have called on every Palestinian to prepare to defend Masjid al-Aqsa and to raise Palestinian flags in every last inch of Palestine.
So where to from here?
Last week’s aggression on Gaza was about establishing deterrence, reading the output from Israeli analysts alongside security officials, there is a belief that deterrence has been reestablished through the IDF’s assassination policy.
But given Hamas’ apparent preparedness to fire rockets and the shortened time frame between battles, the assessment seems to be somewhat misfounded.
At present, no obvious permission has been granted for Haikel, or other marchers, to enter Masjid al-Aqsa. On that basis, following last week’s assault on Gaza Netanyahu will most likely want to avoid an escalation approaching a militaristic nature.
Hamas may well be of similar mind given the need to rebuild. But tensions between Israelis and Palestinians have been sky-high for months; instances of nationalistic attacks from Israelis or violence at checkpoints where Palestinians will be stationed with flags cannot be ruled out.
Open source channels have also been suggesting that Ben-Gvir could incur al-Aqsa in the early hours, similar to his unprecedented provocation on 3rd January.
Given this is public knowledge it is highly unlikely that such action could take place. Nonetheless, unpredictability remains high.
Ultimate assessment: There will likely be instances of extreme violence during the march, both within Jerusalem and the West Bank, with the addition of the mixed Palestinian-Israeli cities within the Green Line. Unless the marchers find themselves marching through al-Aqsa there is a low likelihood of rockets from Gaza.
However, depending on the scale of the violence, rockets from either Gaza, Lebanon or Syria cannot be ruled out.
Image | Naks Bilal Vangahun
The route of the march will pass by the Arab/Muslim quarter by way of Damascus Gate.
Justina Poskeviciute
It’s strange to be using a word like colonialism to describe something that we’re witnessing in the 21st century, I know. Yet, just like with other concepts that have actual definitions, we shouldn’t be afraid to use them where these definitions fit.
So we have to use it when we talk about Palestine.
We have to use it today, when a hateful Flag March is happening in Jerusalem, or any other day — because the colonisation of Palestine by violent Israeli state policies hasn’t stopped.
. . .
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