Security forces have decided to allow the thousands of marchers to take the traditional route through the Old City’s Damascus Gate - despite an uptick in Israeli-Palestinian violence over the past year and heavy fighting between Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza last week.Įarly Thursday, hundreds of Jews came to a sensitive Jerusalem site holy to both Jews and Muslims as part of the day’s activities, visits the Palestinians view as provocative. Police also broke up some scuffles and shouting matches between Jewish and Palestinian youths in the Old City. Israeli police said 10 people were arrested when Israeli activists opposed to the march tried to block a West Bank highway used by settlers to reach Jerusalem. Palestinian shops were either shuttered or empty. Just inside the Old City, dozens of Israeli teens began chanting “Death to Arabs” and “Burn Your Village” as they looked at nearby Palestinian youths. Shortly before the parade began, groups of religious Jewish teenagers gathered at the Damascus Gate.
Palestinians see the event, which is often marred by violence and racist anti-Arab chants, as a provocation. The marchers were set to walk through the area later Thursday in what they view as a victory march celebrating Israel’s capture of east Jerusalem 56 years ago. Over 2,000 police were deployed for the parade, many of them standing guard outside the Old City’s Damascus Gate. JERUSALEM (AP) - Thousands of Jewish nationalists gathered on Thursday ahead of a parade through the main Palestinian thoroughfare of Jerusalem’s Old City, in a contentious event that has threatened to set off already simmering tensions.
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