Tens of thousands of Israeli nationalists marched through Jerusalem's Old City on Thursday to mark Jerusalem Day, the annual commemoration of Israel's capture of East Jerusalem during the 1967 Six-Day War, amid scenes of intimidation, racist chanting and scattered violence. Marchers chanted "Death to Arabs," "May your villages burn" and "Gaza is a graveyard" as they moved through the city's narrow stone alleyways, while most Palestinian residents shuttered their shops and stayed home. The event unfolded against the backdrop of Israel's broader military confrontation with Iran and an increasingly fragile ceasefire in Gaza.

The march, which culminates at the Western Wall — Judaism's holiest prayer site — was attended this year by senior government figures including National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. Ben-Gvir drew particular attention by unfurling an Israeli flag in front of the al-Aqsa mosque compound, the most sacred Islamic site in the city, where he and supporters danced and sang "The Temple Mount is in our hands." Ben-Gvir has led a sustained campaign to erode the longstanding status quo — dating to 1967 — under which non-Muslims are prohibited from praying in the sacred compound. Participants were bused in from across Israel and from Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, in an operation partly funded by the Jerusalem municipality and government ministries.

In response, the Israeli-Palestinian grassroots movement Standing Together deployed a record 400 volunteers in purple high-visibility vests across the Old City's Muslim Quarter, handing out flowers and positioning themselves near Palestinian shops and homes to deter harassment and vandalism. "We wanted to really cover each and every corner of the city to make sure that we prevent attacks against Palestinians," said organiser Suf Patishi, acknowledging the personal risks involved. Co-director Rula Daoud accused Israeli police of repeatedly failing to intervene against abuses, and warned that the march was growing more violent each year. Journalists covering the event also faced hostility, with some reporters shoved and blocked from filming.

The march takes place in deeply contested territory. East Jerusalem, which Israel annexed after 1967 and considers part of its unified capital, is home to a predominantly Palestinian population. The United Nations and the international community regard the annexation as illegal under international law. The broader context includes ongoing Israeli settlement expansion around Jerusalem: human rights organisation Ir Amim documents what it describes as a systematic plan — sometimes referred to as "Greater Jerusalem" — to consolidate Israeli territorial control across the occupied West Bank's Area C, which comprises roughly 60 percent of that territory. Residents of nearby Palestinian villages report a pattern of house demolitions, new settlement construction and metal barriers blocking roads between communities.

Thursday's events highlighted the deep divisions over the status of Jerusalem, a city sacred to Jews, Muslims and Christians alike. While Israeli authorities frame Jerusalem Day as a celebration of national reunification, critics — including some religious Jews who joined the protective cordon — argue the march has become an instrument of intimidation. "This is a desecration of God's name," said one ultra-orthodox counter-protester who gave his name only as David, explaining why he had travelled from northern Israel to stand with Palestinian residents. The annual event, and the political forces it now represents, illustrates the widening gulf between competing visions for the city's future.