Tens of thousands of Israelis, mostly teenagers, took part in the annual Jerusalem Day parade. The Israeli government says the event celebrates the 'unification' of Jerusalem after Israel captured East Jerusalem in the 1967 war. However, the United Nations considers Israel's annexation of predominantly Palestinian East Jerusalem illegal under international law.
At this year's parade, ultranationalists chanted racist slogans such as 'Death to Arabs,' 'May your village burn,' and 'May your village be erased.' Many Palestinians in the Old City closed their shops and avoided the streets. Some marchers slapped their hands against shuttered roll-down doors, while others clapped rhythmically and shouted.
The parade has frequently sparked violence over the years. This year it unfolded against the backdrop of Israel's war with Iran and a Gaza 'ceasefire' that is breached almost daily by Israeli forces. A handful of Palestinian shops stayed open under the protection of activists from Standing Together, a grassroots Israeli-Palestinian movement. The group deployed volunteers across the Old City to try to shield residents and businesses from harassment.
Rula Daoud, the group's co-director, said: 'Our presence is to protect people from being attacked, to protect places from being vandalized. We try to de-escalate on this day.' She accused Israeli police of failing to intervene to stop abuses. 'Thousands of settlers and right-wing fascists, both young and old, will roam the streets shouting very racist things, trying to destroy Palestinian-owned places and terrorize this entire area.'
Journalists covering the parade also faced hostility. Some reporters were shoved and had their filming blocked by participants, according to local media.
