Two more demonstrations in solidarity with Palestinian residents of occupied East Jerusalem threatened with eviction orders were held Friday, June 11. In Sheikh Jarrah and the nearby neighborhood of Silwan, more than 100 Palestinian families are facing lawsuits at different stages, and over 1,000 Palestinians are at risk of mass displacement from these two areas alone.
Demonstrators march through central West Jerusalem in solidarity with Palestinian residents of Sheikh Jarrah in occupied East Jerusalem, Friday, June 11. (Photo: Zo Haderech)
An anti-occupation coalition held a march under the banner “The Peace Rally” from central West Jerusalem to Sheikh Jarrah beginning at 14:30. Activists from Hadash, Peace Now, Standing Together, Breaking the Silence and Free Jerusalem participated in the hour-long procession. In parallel the High Follow-up Committee for Arab Citizens of Israel held another protest in Sheikh Jarrah starting from 15:00 in which lawmakers from the Joint List participated.
Jingoistic Israeli “Flag March” Set to Take Place on Tuesday
Settler organizers of the fascist “flag march” set to take place in Jerusalem next Tuesday, June 15, announced on Friday that they have reached an agreement with the police on the parade’s route. The march will begin at HaNevi’im (The Prophets’) Street. and head towards the Damascus Gate, outside of which participants will dance with Israeli flags. However, the marchers will not enter the Old City via that gate, but instead will head towards the Jaffa Gate, the organizers said in a statement after their meeting with police.
The march was initially scheduled to take place on Thursday, June 10, but was postponed to Tuesday, June 15, two days after the Knesset is due to vote today to approve a new government removing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition from power. The reason for the delay was the fear among authorities that pro-Netanyahu forces might use the march and the violence it could potentially spark as part of a final bid to prevent the formation of the new coalition. In fact, on last Thursday afternoon, the day initially scheduled for the flag march, racist lawmaker Itamar Ben Gvir made his way alone to the Damascus Gate waving an Israeli flag at the site, he said to personally object his banning by police from entering the adjacent Muslim Quarter via the gate to reach the Temple Mount. Occupation forces arrested fourteen Palestinian protesters during Ben Gvir’s solo appearance in the plaza outside the gate on Thursday.
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