### Tensions Flare During Jerusalem Day Parade as Far-Right Israelis Clash with Palestinians

Jerusalem saw a surge of tensions during this year’s Jerusalem Day parade on Monday, as far-right Israeli groups clashed with Palestinians in the city's walled Old City. The annual event commemorates the capture of Palestinian-majority East Jerusalem by Israeli forces during the 1967 Arab-Israeli war.

The parade, marked by nationalist fervor, featured chants such as "death to Arabs" and other inflammatory slogans. Violence erupted when ultranationalist Jews marched through Palestinian areas, leading to physical confrontations. Israeli police were swiftly deployed to manage the situation, detaining aggressive participants and attempting to restore order.

Opposition Leader Yair Lapid criticized the event, calling it a "festival of hatred and racism" and a "disgrace and an insult to Judaism". Thousands of nationalist Israelis converged at Damascus Gate, one of the main entrances to the Old City, where right-wing activists displayed banners reading "67 - Jerusalem in our hands; 2025 - Gaza in our hands".

Arab traders in the Muslim Quarter faced harassment from young Israeli men, who chanted incendiary phrases such as "May your village burn" and "Your home will be ours". Amidst the chaos, National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, a member of the Jewish Power party, addressed the crowd, advocating for the death penalty for "terrorists" and made a controversial visit to the Al-Aqsa mosque compound.

The Al-Aqsa mosque compound, known to Jews as the Temple Mount, is the third holiest site in Islam and the holiest in Judaism. Though administered by a Jordanian Islamic trust, Jews are permitted to visit but not pray there. Ben Gvir's visit drew condemnation from Palestinian authorities, who decried it as a provocative act.

Nabil Abu Rudeineh, a spokesman for the Palestinian presidency, condemned the march and warned that Israel’s actions, including military campaigns in Gaza and provocative acts in Jerusalem, threaten the region's stability. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, however, pledged to keep Jerusalem "united, whole, and under Israeli sovereignty".

Images of the violence were described as "shocking" by left-wing opposition leader Yair Golan, who stressed the importance of maintaining Jerusalem as a city for all—Jews, Christians, and Muslims alike. Lapid echoed this sentiment, asserting that the government officials who remained silent were complicit in the incident.

The parade, which concludes at the Western Wall, the holiest site where Jews can pray, highlighted ongoing tensions. The event coincided with escalating violence in Gaza and the West Bank. Israel's military campaign in Gaza, launched in response to a Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, has led to significant civilian casualties, with at least 53,939 people killed, including 16,500 children, according to Gaza’s health ministry.

This year’s Jerusalem Day parade underscores the deep-seated and ongoing conflict that continues to affect lives on both sides, as geopolitical, religious, and cultural tensions remain unresolved.