Israeli nationalists chant anti-Arab slogans as Ben-Gvir raises flag over Al-Aqsa

**TL;DR Israeli nationalists marched through Jerusalem on Jerusalem Day, chanting anti-Arab slogans while the security minister raised an Israeli flag over the Al-Aqsa compound. A record 400 volunteers in purple vests formed a protective line for Palestinian residents.

**Context The march marked the anniversary of Israel’s 1967 capture of East Jerusalem, a date celebrated by many Jews as Jerusalem Day. Over the years the event has grown more hard‑line, with state‑backed groups bused in from across Israel and West Bank settlements.

Most Palestinian shopkeepers in the Muslim quarter closed their stores before the procession began, but a few residents remained and clashed with far‑right Jewish marchers, leading to chair‑throwing scuffles that police eventually broke up.

A longstanding status quo bars non‑Muslims from praying on the Temple Mount, known to Jews as the Temple Mount, a rule that the current government has sought to challenge.

**Key Facts Nineteen‑year‑old marcher Ariel Amichai told reporters he came to show the world that Jerusalem belongs to Jews as the Holy Land given by God, and said the march’s message to Palestinians was that they must leave.

The grassroots group Standing Together deployed a record 400 volunteers wearing purple high‑visibility vests to shield Palestinians from potential violence during the march.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir announced on Telegram that he had raised the Israeli flag on the Temple Mount, declaring that governance had been restored to the site 59 years after Jerusalem’s liberation.

**What It Means The flag raising and the chants signal a push by hard‑line elements to assert exclusive Jewish control over a site holy to both Muslims and Jews, challenging the decades‑old arrangement that limits non‑Muslim worship.

Observers warn that such actions could heighten tensions in the Old City, provoke further confrontations, and complicate any diplomatic efforts to manage the status of Jerusalem.

Watch for any official response from the Israeli government, potential legal challenges to the flag raising, and whether the increased volunteer presence will deter or escalate future clashes.