Latest news with #JerusalemDay
Free Malaysia Today
a day ago
- General
- Free Malaysia Today
Scuffles, insults as Israelis celebrate Jerusalem Day under shadow of Gaza war
Police confront young Israelis marching during an event commemorating the 1967 seizure of east Jerusalem. (AP pic) JERUSALEM : Crowds of Israelis streamed through Jerusalem's Old City, where some scuffled with residents and hurled insults at Palestinians, as annual celebrations of Israel's capture of east Jerusalem took place on Monday. Jerusalem Day, as the celebrations are known, commemorates Israeli forces taking east Jerusalem during the 1967 Arab-Israeli war. Israel considers all of Jerusalem, including the annexed Palestinian-majority east, its indivisible capital. The international community, however, does not recognise this, and Palestinians seek east Jerusalem as the capital of a future state. Far-right Israeli minister Itamar Ben Gvir on Monday visited the Al-Aqsa mosque compound, known to Jews as the Temple Mount, to mark the occasion, which was being held for a second year under the shadow of the war in Gaza. 'I ascended to the Temple Mount for Jerusalem Day, and prayed for victory in the war' and the return of hostages held in Gaza, said the national security minister, whose past visits to the site have sparked anger among Palestinians and their supporters. The Al-Aqsa mosque is Islam's third-holiest site and a symbol of Palestinian national identity. The Temple Mount is Judaism's holiest place, though Jews are forbidden from praying there. Every year, thousands of Israeli nationalists, many of them religious Jews, march through Jerusalem and its annexed Old City, including in predominantly Palestinian neighbourhoods, waving Israeli flags, dancing and sometimes accosting residents. 'Our one and only holy city' The route ends at the Western Wall, the last remnant of the Second Temple destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD, the holiest site where Jews are allowed to pray. 'After so many years that the people of Israel were not here in Jerusalem and in the land of Israel, we arrived here and conquered Jerusalem, the Temple Mount and the Western Wall,' said 21-year-old Yeshiva student Yosef Azoulai. 'So we celebrate this day in which we won over all our enemies.' Groups of Israeli youths were seen confronting Palestinian shopkeepers, passersby and schoolchildren, as well as Israeli rights activists and police, at times spitting on people, lobbing insults and trying to force their way into houses. Some chanted 'death to Arabs', 'may your village burn' and 'Gaza belongs to us', drawing the occasional uncomfortable look from families making their way to the Western Wall. As evening settled in, large crowds had congregated to celebrate at the holy site. Authorities sometimes order Palestinian shops in the Old City to shut, though business owners this year said they had mostly closed down out of fear of harassment. Outside the Old City, former Knesset member Moshe Feiglin was advertising his far-right political party Identity. 'Every nation and every religion has its capital… but for some reason, all the nations want a part of our one and only holy city,' he said. 'Jerusalem belongs to the Jews and only to the Jews,' he added. This year's Jerusalem Day comes amid renewed calls by some Israeli right-wing figures to annex more Palestinian territory as the war in Gaza rages. On Monday, the Israeli army said three projectiles were launched from Gaza, two falling inside the territory and one intercepted. In 2021, Hamas launched rockets towards Jerusalem as marchers approached the Old City, sparking a 12-day war in Gaza and outbreaks of violence in Israel between Israelis and Palestinians. A 'different kind of Jerusalem' Israel banned the UN's agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, from operating in east Jerusalem earlier this year over accusations it provided cover for Hamas militants, and on Monday, a group of Israelis forced their way into one its vacated compounds in the city. 'The group asserted they were 'liberating'' the facility, UNWRA West Bank director Roland Friedrich said on X. 'The group brought flags and erected banners, seeking to claim the compound for the establishment of a new Israeli neighbourhood. Israeli police, alerted to the scene, failed to protect the inviolability of the @UN premises.' The police, who deployed in force, said that over the course of the day 'officers have handled numerous cases of suspects involved in public disturbances'. In the morning, peace activists handed out flowers to challenge what they saw as the main march's divisive message. Orly Likhovski of the Israel Religious Action Center said those taking part in the peace event were 'not willing to accept that this day is marked by violence and racism', adding they hoped to represent 'a Jewish voice for a different kind of Jerusalem'. Some Palestinians accepted the flowers, but one elderly man near Damascus Gate politely refused, saying: 'Do you see what is happening in Gaza? I'm sorry, but I cannot accept.' In a rare move, the Israeli cabinet met nearby in the predominantly Palestinian neighbourhood of Silwan, home to an archaeological site known as the City of David – believed to mark the biblical location of Jerusalem. At the meeting, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to 'keep Jerusalem united, whole, and under Israeli sovereignty'. Since June 1967, Israeli settlement in the eastern part of the city – considered illegal under international law – has expanded, drawing regular international criticism.
The National
2 days ago
- General
- The National
Provocation in Jerusalem will not deter the dream of a Palestinian state
In diplomacy, as in life, actions have consequences. It should not be surprising, therefore, that this week's loutish display of impunity by juvenile delinquents on Jerusalem Day led to international rebuke for Israel, including the country's ambassador to the UAE being summoned over what the Ministry of Foreign Affairs called "deplorable and offensive" attacks on Palestinians in the city. As ugly as those scenes were – throngs of young men chanting racist slogans as they were allowed to harass Palestinian residents by uncharacteristically passive Israeli police officers – they were arguably less provocative than the sight of Israeli ministers holding an extraordinary Cabinet meeting in Silwan, a Palestinian neighbourhood in occupied East Jerusalem. The fact that these developments were followed by official confirmation on Thursday that 22 new settlements had been approved in the West Bank suggests that Israel's current leadership feels it can weather any criticism. Such an assumption would be a mistake. While Gaza burns, the West Bank remains under a violent military occupation and the streets of historic Jerusalem are overrun by thuggish supremacists, many Israelis are taking to the streets to demand peace and a different course for their country. The Israeli government's relationships with allies and partners continue to fray. The EU – Israel's largest trading partner – is to review its association agreement. On Wednesday, the UK told a UN Security Council meeting that it strongly opposed Israel's 'wholly disproportionate' actions in Gaza and called for an immediate ceasefire. On the same day, US President Donald Trump – usually a firm backer of Israel – said he had warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu against carrying out a military strike on Iran that would set back Washington's efforts to broker a new nuclear deal. Scenes of starving Gazans corralled behind metal fences and children fleeing burning schools are spurring criticism of Israel far beyond the world of diplomacy and politics. Increasing numbers of high-profile artists, musicians, filmmakers and performers are calling for an immediate ceasefire, reflecting the reality that Israel's leadership is increasingly losing the battle for public opinion. The voices of Jews inside of Israel and in across the world calling for a ceasefire and for a path to peace must not be ignored. Scenes of starving Gazans corralled behind metal fences and children fleeing burning schools are spurring criticism of Israel far beyond the world of diplomacy and politics At the same time, the process of creating more so-called facts on the ground, such as the new settlements or the Silwan meeting – attempts to consolidate and normalise the illegal occupation of East Jerusalem and the West Bank – are running into the brick wall of political reality. Despite all attempts to deter it, the international community is not abandoning the idea of a Palestinian state. Last Sunday, Maltese Prime Minister Robert Abela confirmed that his would be the latest EU member to recognise Palestine. Next month will see a major UN conference dedicated to the two-state solution. In the UAE too, the need for a political settlement was made clear by Dr Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to President Sheikh Mohamed, who told the Arab Media Summit on Wednesday that the Emirates remained committed to the Palestinian cause as well as a two-state solution. If there is one message that can cut through the deluge of suffering this war has produced, it is the need for serious re-engagement with the idea of peace. A ceasefire and a return to political dialogue that can realise the legitimate aspirations of Palestinians and Israelis alike ought not to be considered a pipe dream. It is, in fact, what the vast majority of those affected by this conflict, and their honest brokers, want.
Middle East Eye
2 days ago
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
Why Jerusalem will outlive Zionism's march of hate
On what they call 'Jerusalem Day', the Old City is not celebrated, but desecrated. The Israeli Flag March, staged annually under the banner of nationalist pride, has degenerated into a spectacle of unrestrained hatred. This year, it plummeted to new depths of depravity. As Haaretz reported, Israeli youths marched through the Muslim Quarter chanting 'Death to Arabs', 'Flatten Gaza' and 'There's no school in Gaza, there's no children left'. Flagpoles were slammed against ancient doors, while marchers cursed the Prophet Muhammad and mocked the memory of Palestine. Not a single person was arrested for incitement. On Jerusalem Day, the law of incitement is effectively suspended. Hate becomes state-sanctioned. The slogans screamed are not cries against Hamas, but declarations of war on Arabs, on Muslims - on the very soul of the city. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters Contrary to claims that this is the work of a fringe, the reality is more disturbing. As Haaretz journalist Nir Hasson observes, it is not the racists who are marginal; it is those who refrain from joining them. Even organisations aligned with the mainstream right, such as the Likud-affiliated Im Tirtzu, paraded banners declaring 'No Nakba, No Victory'. This theatre of hate was funded directly by the Jerusalem Municipality, which allocated 700,000 shekels ($200,000) - without a public tender - to the march's organisers. Conquest and cleansing This is no outburst. It is doctrine made flesh, the performance of a theology of supremacy. At its core lies a prophetic vision: not of peace or pluralism, but of conquest and cleansing. One of the chief architects of this world view is Rabbi Yitzchak Ginsburgh, spiritual father of the 'Hilltop Youth', the settler militia responsible for deadly violence across the occupied West Bank. Ginsburgh has openly glorified Baruch Goldstein, who slaughtered 29 Palestinians during prayers at Hebron's Ibrahimi Mosque in 1994. He has published works sanctioning the killing of non-Jewish women and children. Follow Middle East Eye's live coverage of the Israel-Palestine war Two decades ago, Ginsburgh delivered his now-infamous sermon, 'Time to Crack the Nut'. In it, he likened Israel to a fruit encased in four 'shells' - the secular state and its institutions - that once served a purpose, but now obstruct redemption. These 'shells' - the media, judiciary, government, and moral code of the army - must, he proclaimed, be destroyed. Only through their obliteration could the pure kernel of Jewish supremacy emerge and the messianic age be ushered in. This is not chaos. It is execution. The march of hate may thunder now, but it will fall silent. And on that day, Jerusalem will be free: of occupation, of bigotry, of racism The chants that echoed through Jerusalem's streets this year were not anomalies. They were symptoms of a regime that has shed its veneer of secular democracy. What remains is unvarnished messianic ethno-nationalism, apocalyptic in vision and genocidal in potential. From far-right ministers Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, the fantasy is not whispered; it is broadcast. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, meanwhile, walked the underground 'Pilgrim's Path' beneath al-Haram al-Sharif and declared to yeshiva students: 'You'll go up from there [to the Temple].' Smotrich was more explicit, as usual. On the same day, before a crowd of zealots, he announced: 'With God's help, we will expand Israel's borders, bring about complete redemption, and rebuild the Temple here.' The call to build the Third Temple in place of Al-Aqsa Mosque is not merely a breach of the status quo; it is a full declaration of religious war. And with it goes the illusion of coexistence. For the Zionist project is not only at war with Muslims, but it is also waging war on Christians. The Christian presence in Jerusalem - ancient, indigenous and sacred - is being systematically eradicated. A new era As early as 2023, months before 7 October, church leaders warned of escalating attacks, land grabs, and the impunity granted to those who commit them. Father Don Binder of St George's Cathedral declared: 'The right-wing elements are out to Judaise the Old City.' Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa said 2024 was 'the worst period I've ever lived in'. By 2025, Christians were being barred from attending Easter services and faced a steep rise in levels of harassment and vandalism. These are not isolated acts of vandalism. They are part of a campaign. Zionism aims not only to dominate the city, but to erase its Arab, Islamic and Christian character. Spitting on Christians is now called a 'Jewish tradition' by no less than Ben Gvir. Churches are defiled, clergy assaulted, lands seized. What we are witnessing is not mere racism; it is Judaisation, a project to remake Jerusalem in the image of a supremacist ideology. And yet, there exists another model - one rooted not in conquest, but in conscience. When Caliph Umar entered Jerusalem in the seventh century, he became the only Muslim ruler in history to travel to a city specifically to receive its keys, at the request of its Christian religious leader, Patriarch Sophronius. He refused to pray inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, fearing that Muslims might later seize it. Instead, he prayed on the steps outside and issued a decree forbidding its appropriation. The new Muslim era in Jerusalem allowed Jews to live in the city again after being banned for decades under Byzantine rule. In his book A Brief History of Israel, author Bernard Reich noted: 'At the outset of Islamic rule, Jewish settlement in Jerusalem was resumed, and the Jewish community was granted permission to live under 'protection,' the customary status of non-Muslims under Islamic rule, which safeguarded their lives, property, and freedom of worship in return for payment of special poll and land taxes.' Centuries later, as Christian denominations quarrelled over custodianship, Sultan Saladin entrusted the keys of that same church to two Muslim families who, for more than 850 years, have continued to open and close its doors with humility and honour. 'Crusader anxiety' This is the Jerusalem that could be. A city of guardianship, not domination; of reverence, not erasure. But the battle for Jerusalem's soul is not over. It is the most consequential struggle of all, one waged between the conquerors and the indigenous; between the exclusionary and the inclusive; between a settler-colonial ideology that worships purity through violence, and a city whose greatness once lay in its sacred plurality. There are parallels with the Crusades. In 1099, Crusader armies stormed Jerusalem and butchered thousands of Muslims and Jews. Today's Zionists echo their logic, invoke their imagery, and follow their path. From Netanyahu's Temple hints to Ginsburgh's theology of annihilation, Crusaderism lives again. Is Israel going the way of the Crusaders? Read More » But Crusader kingdoms fall. Saladin freed Jerusalem from the Crusaders after eight decades of occupation, and the entire Crusader adventure in the region collapsed within two centuries, leaving behind deep scars, but also a strong, enduring resolve to resist invaders. Israeli scholars themselves sense the comparison. Historian David Ohana writes that 'Crusader anxiety' haunts the Israeli psyche - a hidden fear that Zionism, like its mediaeval predecessor, may one day end as if it had never been. And rightly so, for Jerusalem does not belong to those who defile it. Gaza may burn. The occupied West Bank may bleed. But Jerusalem remains the crown. Zionism, no matter how brutal, cannot erase what history, geography and faith have forged. Palestine lives in the hearts of millions, and Jerusalem is not a periphery; it is the heart of the Arab and Muslim world. No matter how many tunnels Zionists dig, how many flags they wave or how much hate they spew, Palestinians will continue to sing, as the Lebanese Christian diva Fairuz once sang: 'O Jerusalem, O city of prayer. Our eyes are set upon you every day. We walk through the porticos of the temples, embrace the old churches, and take the sadness away from the mosques … O Jerusalem, by our hands, peace will return to you.' The march of hate may thunder now, but it will fall silent. And on that day, Jerusalem will be free: of occupation, of bigotry, of racism. It will return to its people, its spirit unbroken, its sanctity undiminished. The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Eye.
Gulf Insider
3 days ago
- Politics
- Gulf Insider
Israel Finance Minister calls for building a Jewish temple
Far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has called for the rebuilding of a Jewish temple on the site of Al-Aqsa Mosque and for the expansion of Israel's borders and Jewish settlements in Gaza. In speech addressing crowds at a Jerusalem Day rally on Monday, which celebrates Israel's occupation of the old city of Jerusalem, Smotrich also called for 'complete redemption' and reconstruction of 'the Temple here,' referring to Al-Aqsa Mosque, which settlers had raided earlier. 'We are conquering the Land of Israel, liberating Gaza, settling Gaza and defeating the enemy,' Smotrich said to crowds that had chanted 'death to Arabs' as they marched through Jerusalem's Old City and attacked Palestinians. 'With God's help, we will expand Israel's borders, bring about complete redemption, and rebuild the Temple here,' he said. Smotrich also reiterated his calls for Jewish settlement in Gaza, declaring that 'Israel is not afraid of the word occupation'. 'Some people are afraid of victory. We are not afraid of victory,' he said. 'Lets give strength to our brave and heroic fighters'. Several attacks and brawls were caught on film during Jerusalem Day marches… Right-wing Israelis storm Al-Aqsa compound in occupied East Jerusalem, attacking Palestinians and chanting anti-Muslim slogans on 'Jerusalem Day,' which marks Israel's 1967 occupation of the city. — Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) May 26, 2025 'Are we afraid of victory? Are we afraid of the word occupation?' Smotrich demanded, to which the crowd responded with a resounding 'no'. Smotrich has long advocated for extending Israeli sovereignty over the occupied West Bank and Gaza, and across the Middle East as part of his vision of a 'Greater Israel'. Earlier this month, Smotrich vowed that 'Gaza will be entirely destroyed' and its Palestinian population will 'leave in great numbers to third countries'. He also declared that Israel would 'apply sovereignty' in the occupied West Bank before the next Israeli general elections in October 2026. On Jerusalem Day, Israeli women chanted 'May your village burn!' as they marched through the Armenian Quarter in the Old City of Jerusalem. — Kegham Balian (@kbalian90) May 28, 2025 'Within a few months, we will be able to declare that we have won. Gaza will be totally destroyed,' Smotrich said. 'In another six months, Hamas won't exist as a functioning entity.' Also read: British Airways Extends Suspension of Israel Flights as More Houthi Missiles Target Airport
Middle East Eye
3 days ago
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
Smotrich calls for 'rebuilding temple' during Jerusalem Day celebrations
Far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has called for the rebuilding of a Jewish temple on the site of Al-Aqsa Mosque and for the expansion of Israel's borders and Jewish settlements in Gaza. In speech addressing crowds at a Jerusalem Day rally on Monday, which celebrates Israel's occupation of the old city of Jerusalem, Smotrich also called for 'complete redemption' and reconstruction of 'the Temple here,' referring to Al-Aqsa Mosque, which settlers had raided earlier. 'We are conquering the Land of Israel, liberating Gaza, settling Gaza and defeating the enemy,' Smotrich said to crowds that had chanted 'death to Arabs' as they marched through Jerusalem's Old City and attacked Palestinians. 'With God's help, we will expand Israel's borders, bring about complete redemption, and rebuild the Temple here,' he said. Smotrich also reiterated his calls for Jewish settlement in Gaza, declaring that 'Israel is not afraid of the word occupation'. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters 'Some people are afraid of victory. We are not afraid of victory,' he said. 'Lets give strength to our brave and heroic fighters'. 'Are we afraid of victory? Are we afraid of the word occupation?' Smotrich demanded, to which the crowd responded with a resounding 'no'. Smotrich has long advocated for extending Israeli sovereignty over the occupied West Bank and Gaza, and across the Middle East as part of his vision of a 'Greater Israel'. Earlier this month, Smotrich vowed that 'Gaza will be entirely destroyed' and its Palestinian population will 'leave in great numbers to third countries'. He also declared that Israel would 'apply sovereignty' in the occupied West Bank before the next Israeli general elections in October 2026. 'Within a few months, we will be able to declare that we have won. Gaza will be totally destroyed,' Smotrich said. 'In another six months, Hamas won't exist as a functioning entity.'
