Heavy security and high friction: Jerusalem braces for annual flag march

Thousands of police and Border Police officers flooded the streets of Jerusalem Thursday morning as the city braces for the annual Flag March, an event that consistently serves as a flashpoint for sectarian friction. 

Tens of thousands of national-religious revelers are expected to parade through the Old City to mark Jerusalem Day, celebrating the reunification of the capital during the 1967 Six-Day War.  

Security measures are at a peak, with officers establishing barricades around the Damascus Gate and the Muslim Quarter. At the direction of law enforcement, many Palestinian shopkeepers have already shuttered their businesses, with some opting not to open at all to avoid the potential for vandalism and physical altercations that have marred previous years.  

The march comes amid sharp political warnings. MK Rabbi Gilad Kariv of the Democrats party issued a formal warning to Police Commissioner Danny Levi, describing the parade as an "arena for acts of violence, hatred, looting, and racism." Kariv requested that the police redirect the march away from the Muslim Quarter to protect non-Jewish residents, a demand that was ultimately not accepted.  

Kariv has threatened to monitor the police response in person, stating that the "sovereignty of the State of Israel" should be defined by the ability to ensure a lifestyle free from fear. He specifically highlighted a recent rise in nationalistic attacks on Christian clergy as a sign of the heightened risks this year.  

The timing of this year's march has been adjusted to avoid overlapping with the start of Shabbat. Most participants will begin their procession on Thursday afternoon near Jerusalem’s Great Synagogue, while an alternate route for women is scheduled to bypass the Muslim Quarter via the southern wall.  

A planned "liberal" alternative march in West Jerusalem was canceled at the last minute. Organizers reported that the event, which was expected to draw 5,000 participants and featured speakers like Rabbi Benny Lau, lost its government funding after the Finance Ministry failed to transfer the necessary budget.  

Despite calls from some senior Religious Zionist rabbis for participants to maintain "the dignity of the occasion," the atmosphere remains tense. Police have vowed "zero tolerance" for racist chanting or violence, though previous years have seen marchers shouting anti-Arab slogans and harassing locals with little immediate intervention.  

Already this morning, tensions were high near the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex, where hundreds of visitors entered the compound under heavy guard. With thousands of marchers set to converge on the Western Wall Plaza by evening, the city remains on a razor's edge, balancing a national celebration against the stark reality of deep-seated local divisions.