The Flags' March... An embodiment of Israel's ongoing war on sovereignty in Jerusalem

Occupied Jerusalem

- The "flags march" that is supposed to be organized in Jerusalem on Sunday, May 29th, is receiving exceptional noise and attention this year, as extremist settlers plan to commemorate the "Unification of Jerusalem" day with a major storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque and a huge Israeli flags march through which they compensate The failure of the march of the past year, which was dispersed by the rockets of the resistance coming from Gaza.

The "Unification of Jerusalem" day is a "national holiday" to commemorate the completion of Israel's control over the city of Jerusalem, and the occupation of the eastern part of it, especially the Old City, during the June 1967 war.

The Flags Dance March is the most prominent ceremonial day on this day, and it starts annually from the agreed gathering place in west Jerusalem after the gathering of participants, who may number about 30,000 participants, and passes through two of the gates of the Old City, Bab Al-Khalil and Al-Jadid, and then reaches Bab Al-Amoud Where the march is facing Palestinian protests despite all the barriers set up by the police in its vicinity.

To compensate for what was not achieved last year, during this occasion, the Temple groups and extremist organizations escalated a few days ago from their aggressive statements towards Al-Aqsa Mosque, and are still mobilizing more supporters to participate in the implementation of large numbers of incursions into the mosque, during which the Israeli flag is raised, the national anthem is sung, and public collective prayers are performed and then participate. In the march of flags in the afternoon.

Previous flags march in Bab Al-Amoud (Al-Jazeera)

Invitations and attacks

One of the most extreme calls so far was issued by the leader of the extremist "Lahava" organization, Bentzi Gopstein, who called for the storming of Al-Aqsa on the occasion of the "unification of Jerusalem" as the start of demolishing the Dome of the Rock.

A day after this call was launched, Israeli Minister of Internal Security Omer Bar-Lev, after a meeting with Inspector General of Police Yaakov Shabtai, approved the passage of the "Flags March" from Bab al-Amud and the Islamic Quarter in the Old City to the Al-Buraq Wall.

The celebrations for the "Unification of Jerusalem" day this year come after weeks of intensifying the battle of the flags in the city;

Especially after the Palestinian flag was repeatedly raised recently, whether inside Al-Aqsa Mosque or at the funeral of the late Sherine Abu Aqleh and the martyr Walid Al-Sharif a few days ago, in scenes that prompted many to say that Israel lost control of the city that it claims to be its unified capital.

The Palestinian flag has been repeatedly raised recently, whether inside Al-Aqsa Mosque or at the funeral of the late Sherine Abu Akleh (Al Jazeera)

struggle and dominion

The head of the Jerusalem Anti-Judaization Committee, Nasser Al-Hadmi, said that the broad title of the events taking place in the city of Jerusalem recently is "the struggle for sovereignty", and the flags are one of the most important symbols of sovereignty.

It was remarkable, according to Al-Hedmi, that the Palestinian flag remained hoisted at the top of the Dome of the Rock during the last ten days of Ramadan, and that the occupation police did not dare to remove it because of the risks involved in intrusion and confrontation.

The police’s keenness to prevent settlers from raising the Israeli flag inside the mosque’s courtyards later constituted a weakness and insult to the occupation authorities, which prompted them to target Palestinian flags at recent funerals in the city, and prompted extremists to mobilize the largest number of settlers known for their extremism for the upcoming Israeli flags march.

Explosion and confrontation

Whenever the Palestinian flag approaches the Al-Aqsa Mosque and its surroundings, and the entrances to the Old City, the occupation feels that it has lost its illusory sovereignty over the city.

And if he feels that the explosion will be inevitable and major if the march of the flags passes through Bab Al-Amoud and the Islamic Quarter, then it will retreat, especially if the circle of confrontation expands, as last year, to include the West Bank, Gaza and the Palestinian interior.

The specialist in Israeli affairs, Saeed Bisharat, said that the march comes at a very charged time, both Palestinian and Israeli, and the right wants to prove itself in a different way. During the last hours, its followers deliberately burned the Palestinian flag in several gatherings.

Bisharat added in his speech to Al Jazeera Net that the settlers know that the general Palestinian atmosphere is currently talking about the imminent demise of Israel, and they are shipped in return from their rabbis to target the holiest places of worship for Muslims in Jerusalem.

Regarding the expected scenarios during the media march this year, Bisharat suggested that it will be more violent against Jerusalemites and their property in the Old City than it was in previous years, especially since the "Lahava criminal organization", which educates its followers to hate Arabs and Muslims, is at the fore in calls and organization.

scenarios and predictions

According to Bisharat, the darkest scenarios are that "the extremists have developed a fictional scenario that they expect to come true one day during the march of the flags, which is that the participants will rush en masse at one of the gates of Al-Aqsa and storm it after the police lose control of them, and there will break out a bloody religious war in which the army chief of staff will intervene."

And "Lahava", which in Arabic means flame, is - according to what was published by the Palestinian Center for Israeli Studies "Madar" - one of the most prominent right-wing Zionist organizations that operate according to racist nationalist settler agendas against the Arabs.

The extremist organization was founded by Bentzi Gofstein in 1999 with the aim of preventing the phenomenon of “marriage of Jewish girls to non-Jews” and fighting it in various ways and means, as well as “fighting the assimilation of Jews in the Holy Land.” It is considered one of the most important racist right-wing organizations that adopt hate speech against Arabs in different regions. Specifically in Jerusalem.

It is noteworthy that the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) considered that "the call of the head of the Zionist organization Lahava for the settlers to demolish the Dome of the Rock and build their alleged temple, in the so-called unification of Jerusalem is a direct provocation to the feelings of our people and our nation, and a dangerous escalation against our identity, values ​​and sanctities."