Tensions rose in the West Bank and East Jerusalem on Thursday when tens of thousands of Jewish settlers marched to Jerusalem’s Old City in the provocative ‘Flag march’.
Shop owners in the Old City of Jerusalem were forced to close their businesses by Israeli forces on Thursday, under the threat of weapons, on the pretext of securing the site for the march.
Israeli media reported that members of the Israeli government took part in the provocative ‘Flag March’, including National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, and Transportation Minister Miri Regev.
Israeli occupation forces expel Palestinian worshippers from Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque to make way for Jewish settlers’ intrusion ahead of the provocative 'Flag March', on Thursday, May 18. pic.twitter.com/iE6ygksnDr
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) May 18, 2023
Far-right Israeli minister of National Infrastructure, Energy, and Water, Yisrael Katz, threatened to assassinate top Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar if they dare to target the march, saying:
“(Hamas leader) Yahya Sinwar should also know that if he dares to do so, his fate will be the same as his friends in Islamic Jihad,” – referring to the assassinations carried out by Israel during its latest bombardment on Gaza.
The event sparked international outrage as Israeli demonstrators chanted racist slogans such as “Death to Arabs” and harassed Palestinians as they paraded through the Old City.
United States: ‘We Oppose Racist Language of Any Form’
The United States condemned Israeli demonstrators’ racist chants, calling for the killing of Arabs.
US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller wrote on Twitter that “the United States unequivocally opposes racist language of any form,” adding:
“We condemn the hateful chants such as ‘Death to Arabs’ during today’s marches in Jerusalem.”
Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir sings and dances at the provocative 'Flag March' in #Jerusalem. #FlagMarch #Palestine pic.twitter.com/PubX55hOAp
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) May 18, 2023
Egypt: The March is ‘Irresponsible Escalation’
Egypt condemned the Jewish settler intrusion into Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque compound and the annual Jewish supremacist march in the occupied city.
The Egyptian Foreign Affairs Ministry decried in a press statement the storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque by groups of Jewish extremists, including members of the Israeli government and parliament, as part of the so-called ‘Flag March’, along with accompanying provocations against the Palestinian population.
In the statement, the ministry slammed the march as “an irresponsible escalation that inflames sensibilities and exacerbates tensions in the occupied territories” while calling on Israel, the occupying power, to respect the historic and legal status quo at the holy places of Jerusalem, pursuant to which Al-Aqsa Mosque compound is the sole property of the Muslim Waqf.
Illegal Jewish settlers, escorted by Israeli occupation forces, assault journalists in Jerusalem's Old City. pic.twitter.com/q8yoQAgMfD
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) May 18, 2023
Jordan: Flagrant Violation of International Law
Jordan denounced the storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque by Jewish settlers, including members of the Israeli government and parliament, as well as the provocative march in the Old City of Jerusalem, stressing that Israel has no sovereignty over occupied Jerusalem.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Sinan Majali said in a statement that the ongoing storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque and the extremist settlers’ provocative actions amount to a flagrant violation of international law, as well as of the historical and legal status quo in Jerusalem and its sanctities.
The ministry also warned of a deterioration in the situation in light of allowing the provocative flags march in occupied Jerusalem, stressing that East Jerusalem is occupied Palestinian territory and Israel has no sovereignty over the city and its holy sites.
Turkey: Measures Must Be Taken Without Delay
The Turkish Foreign Ministry strongly condemned the raid by far-right Israeli Jewish settlers into the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied Jerusalem.
“We strongly condemn the storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque by fanatical Jewish groups under police protection and their attempts to perform prayers in this area, violating once again the historical status quo at Haram Al-Sharif,” the ministry said in a statement on Thursday.
Turkey urged the Israeli government not to allow such “provocative actions.”
“We expect the necessary measures for the preservation of status quo in the holy places to be taken seriously and without delay,” it added.
Saudi Arabia: We Stand by the Palestinian People
Saudi Arabia condemned Israeli settler intrusion into Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque compound and the annual Jewish supremacist march in the occupied city.
Saudi Arabian Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed in a press statement that “the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s condemnation of the storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque by a member of the Israeli occupation government and members of the Knesset, under Israeli security guards.”
The Ministry affirmed “the Kingdom’s categorical rejection of such violations and provocative actions” and reiterated that “the Kingdom stands by the Palestinian people and supports all efforts aimed at reaching a just and comprehensive solution to the Palestinian issue.”
(The Palestine Chronicle)
