In an hour, a "flag march" through Jerusalem will begin. The march was scheduled for last week but delayed until today after police and security services objected to the route.
There is a march of Israeli flags every Jerusalem Day, which marks the reunification of the city under Israeli rule after the Six Day War. That march, mostly of national-religious youths (men and women separated) goes through the Old City to the Western Wall.
What makes the march controversial is that the men march through the Muslim Quarter of the Old City. Shops are closed and sometimes racist slogans are chanted by some marchers — though the event is once a year and usually not marked by physical violence.
This year's flag march, on May 10, was rerouted away from the Muslim Quarter because of heightened tensions. Despite this change, rockets were fired on Jerusalem by Hamas as the march was beginning, leading to its cancellation altogether.
The march today is being billed as a catch-up event after the May march was cancelled. It was also rerouted, but then the outgoing Netanyahu government instead decided to overrule the security services and allow it to go ahead a few days later: today.
Among the organisers of the march is the far-right Religious Zionism party, leading to accusations that it's a political stunt. The party logo has now been removed from even flyers, but it was there before.
Hamas has threatened to start another war if the march goes ahead. There's also the possibility of rioting from the Palestinian residents of East Jerusalem. The new Bennett/Lapid government has been in office less than 48 hours, so this will be its first test.
Israel has deployed 2000 police to Jerusalem and is readying Iron Dome batteries to intercept rockets. But... I don't think anyone really wants another war right now.
My prediction: there will, unfortunately, be some violence. Hamas will fire some rockets. The IDF will respond. But unless there's a terrible tragedy (a Hamas rocket hitting a crowded shopping mall, an Israeli strike hitting a family), I think everyone wants to move on quickly.
Anyway, hoping and praying this all passes without any violence at all.
The march is over. There were racist chants by the marchers, but no violence targeting the march itself. Some civil disturbances in Arab neighbourhoods led to 17 arrests, and to injuries among police and residents.
Instead of rocket fire, Hamas sent incendiary and explosive devices on balloons into Southern Israel ahead of the march, causing wildfires but no injuries. That allows Hamas to say it 'responded', but without forcing Israel to respond in turn. ImageImage
Ultimately, today's march was a de-facto Opposition rally, a focus for attacks on Naftali Bennett and the new government.

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