We have Jerusalem by right, not charity, PM says

Arab MK: Purpose of Jerusalem Day march is to harass Muslims

Joint (Arab) List MK Youssef Jabareen slams a court decision to allow today’s Jerusalem Day march to go through the Muslim Quarter of the Old City.

“This is a provocative march, racist and violent, whose objective is to threaten the Palestinian vendors in the Muslim Quarter and visitors to the Quarter,” he says, according to Walla.

He also says that the police bear responsibility for any attack on Palestinians as a result of the march, held every year to celebrate the reunification of the city in the 1967 Six Day War.

This year’s Jerusalem Day also comes just ahead of the month-long Ramadan fast, and hundreds of Muslim worshipers are also slated to be in the area this afternoon, raising fears of clashes.

Israeli man gets 2 life sentences for killing his children

Lod District Court hands down two life sentences to a man who murdered his two children in 2014.

Avi Levi will serve the two sentences back to back for murdering his 12-year-old daughter and 10-year-old son when they were visiting from their mother’s home in the US.

Levi, from a moshav near Ramle, was reported to have killed the children in order to exact revenge on his ex-wife for divorcing him.

Hamas member: Group can move about Gaza entirely underground

A detained member of the Hamas military wing, who was arrested after crossing into Israel from Gaza, tells investigators that the terror group has established an extensive network of tunnels used to move fighters around Gaza entirely underground.

According to the Shin Bet security service, the 17-year-old Hamas member says the tunnels even have rooms for taking breaks.

The teen, who has worked on the tunnels, was detained in May during a joint operation by the Israel Police, IDF and Shin Bet.

— Judah Ari Gross

Israeli journalist for Iran TV freed to house arrest

Nazareth Magistrate’s Court frees to house arrest an Israeli journalist working for Iranian TV.

Bassam al-Safadi was arrested on Wednesday for what police said was alleged incitement and supporting terror groups.

He is a reporter for the al-Alam news network, which draws its funding from the state-run Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting company.

Police say the investigation into the allegations is still ongoing.

Bassam Safadi. (screen capture: Al-Alam)

— Judah Ari Gross

Zionist Union MK slams East Jerusalem construction plan

Zionist Union MK Nachman Shai warns that the planned construction of a new Jewish neighborhood in East Jerusalem will lead to international condemnation.

Shai, who heads the Jerusalem lobby in the Knesset, says that the Israeli government “has managed as usual to mar a festival day, this time with a construction plan that only serves to stir international opposition and exacerbate the dispute over Jerusalem, and will ultimately not come to fruition.”

The Ir Amim organization, which is also opposed to the planned neighborhood, says, “It is a shame that instead of genuine plans to boost equality and reduce tensions in the city, they are trying to sell the public controversial construction plans whose implementation is in doubt.”

Police want to ban 5 far-right activists from Old City

Police ask Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court for a restraining order on five members of the far-right Lehava organization, which would ban them from entering the Old City during this afternoon’s Jerusalem Day parade.

The five were held for questioning last week during a protest against a Christian mission and were pressured to sign the terms of the exclusion, Walla says.

“Lehava activists have the right to march in Jerusalem with flags, and the police inability to internalize that freedom of expression applies to all signals that they need to take a course in civil rights and democracy,” says far-right lawyer Itamar Ben-Gvir, who is opposing the police request in court.

Police deploy ‘very large numbers’ for Jerusalem Day march

Police say their numbers are heavily bolstered for the Jerusalem Day parade in the Old City, which passes through the Muslim Quarter.

Some 30,000 people are expected to participate in the march, which is set to begin at 5:15 p.m.

“We shall be there in very large numbers,” says police spokesman Asi Aharoni. “We have more than 2,000 police just for the Jerusalem Day events.”

Israeli rights group Ir Amim had asked the High Court to bar the march from entering the Old City through the Damascus Gate, the main entry used by Palestinians. The court rejected the appeal, but required the marchers to complete their passage through the gate by 6:15 p.m. and through the Muslim Quarter by 7 p.m.

— AFP

Palestinians insist on full withdrawal to 1967 lines, says Abbas

As Israel marks Jerusalem Day, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas vows that he will only accept a full Israeli withdrawal from all territory captured by Israel during the 1967 Six Day War.

“Our nation will not agree in any way to less than a full end to the Israeli occupation that began in June 1967 and the establishment of a sovereign independent Palestinian state,” Abbas says, according to the Palestinian media.

“The Palestinian leadership adheres to the principle of a two-state solution. The Palestinian side rejects any attempt to alter the Arab initiative.”

Israel took control of East Jerusalem and the West Bank from Jordan, the Gaza Strip from Egypt and the Golan Heights from Syria during the conflict. The Palestinians seek to establish their own state in the West Bank and Gaza.

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas (L) attends a meeting of Arab foreign ministers to discuss a French peace initiative, in Cairo on May 28, 2016. (AFP PHOTO)

WATCH: Activists gather at Damascus Gate ahead of Jerusalem Day march

Thousands of activists gather at the Damascus Gate ahead of the annual Jerusalem Day march. The activists wave Israeli flags and sing “Jerusalem of Gold” as they wait to start the parade through the Old City.

Some 30,000 people are expected to take part in the march, which will pass through the Muslim Quarter after the High Court rejected a petition to change the route of the parade.

Police have bolstered their presence in the Old City for the march.

Trump: Muslim judge could also be problem in university suit

Donald Trump says he could also find a Muslim judge problematic in the lawsuit over his real estate “university.”

“It’s possible, yes. Yeah. That would be possible, absolutely,” the presumptive GOP nominee for president tells CBS’s “Face the Nation” program, in response to questioning about his objections over an Indiana-born judge of Mexican heritage.

“Isn’t there sort of a tradition though in America that we don’t judge people by who their parents were and where they came from?” anchor John Dickerson asks. Trump replies: “I’m not talking about tradition — I’m talking about common sense.”

The real estate magnate claims that his declared plan for a wall between the US and Mexico means he will not receive a fair trial from Judge Gonzalo Curiel. He has also called for a temporary ban on all Muslims entering the US.

Would a Muslim judge also be out of the question here? @realdonaldtrump: "…It's possible, yes."
https://t.co/49qUfRCrLV

— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) June 5, 2016

NY governor said to order state divestment from pro-BDS companies

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo intends to order state agencies to divest from companies and organizations that back the boycott of Israel, The New York Times reports.

According to the report, Cuomo will order the commissioner of the Office of General Services to draw up a list in the coming half-year of all businesses and organizations groups that engage in “boycott, divestment or sanctions activity targeting Israel, either directly or through a parent or subsidiary.”

The list will be based on “credible information available to the public,” the report says, quoting a draft version of an executive order obtained by the Times.

The report comes on the same day as New York’s annual Celebrate Israel Parade in Manhattan, which Cuomo has previously attended.

Top IDF officer: Plan to take Gaza in 1967 made me hot under collar

A top IDF general during the 1967 Six Day War was not in favor of a plan to take the Gaza Strip from Egypt, according to his testimony soon after the war, published today by Channel 2.

David “Dado” Elazar, who headed the Northern Command in the 1967 conflict and went on to become the head of the army, said two years after the Six Day War that, “the plan to occupy the Gaza Strip made me hot under the collar.”

Israel went on to take Gaza from Egypt, the West Bank and East Jerusalem from Jordan and the Golan Heights from Syria.

Police said defying High Court on Jerusalem Day parade

The police are defying a High Court order to halt entry through the Damascus Gate at 6:15 p.m. for participants in the annual right-wing Jerusalem Day march, Channel 10 says.

The channel’s Jerusalem correspondent, Omri Maniv, tweets an image he says is from 6:20 p.m., which apparently shows hundreds of marchers still filing through the gate.

The court earlier today rejected a petition to prevent the march passing through the Muslim Quarter of the Old City, but placed certain restrictions on the marchers, including a time limit for entry via the Damascus Gate.

השעה 18:20 כך נראית הכניסה לשער שכם. בג״צ פסק שהשער ייסגר לכניסה ב18:15, המשטרה והמארגנים לא עמדו בהוראות בית המשפט pic.twitter.com/yyjOyYSt9n

— עמרי מניב omri maniv (@omrimaniv) June 5, 2016

Daniel Pearl’s parents: Muhammad Ali did not hesitate to plead for his life

The parents of slain Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl say Muhammad Ali made an immediate personal appeal for their son’s life following his 2002 capture by Islamist extremists in Pakistan.

“Ali did not hesitate a minute and issued a plea that only Satan could resist; it was published next day in Pakistan,” says Pearl’s mother, Ruth. “Ali further called me by phone and insisted on being invited to the party once Danny was released.”

“I appeal to you to show Daniel Pearl compassion and kindness,” Ali implored Pearl’s abductors, who would behead the Jewish journalist in Pakistan after nine days of captivity, although his fate would not be known for another three weeks.

“Treat him as you would wish all Muslims to be treated by others,” entreated Ali, who died Friday at 74. “Daniel should not become another victim of the ongoing conflict. It is my most sincere prayer that Daniel Pearl be permitted to return safely to his family. May Allah have mercy on us all.”

Pearl’s parents, Judea and Ruth, also asked Louis Farrakhan, leader of the Nation of Islam, to intercede with the abductors.

“Farrakhan said, day after day, that he wasn’t ready and when he was finally ready it was too late,” says Daniel’s father, Judea.

Instead of the anticipated celebration to mark the journalist’s hoped-for return, Ali and his wife were invited to attend the private memorial service on March 10, 2002, at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles.

— JTA

Revelers sing, dance in Muslim Quarter on Jerusalem Day march

A large number of religious students pass through the Old City of Jerusalem’s Muslim Quarter, singing “Am Yisrael Chai,” “Jerusalem of Gold,” and other religious and national songs, as part of the annual Jerusalem Day parade.

The vast majority of revelers dance and sing as they move through the Arab area, some antagonizing the local residents and journalists, yelling at them or blocking their cameras. Some are escorted out by police.

A handful wear stickers that call for the transfer of Arab citizens from Israel or express support to the extremist Rabbi Meir Kahane.

Participants march through the Muslim Quarter of the Old City during the annual Jerusalem Day parade on June 5, 2016 (Judah Ari Gross)

— Judah Ari Gross

Police struggle to stop Jerusalem Day marchers entering Damascus Gate

Police officers were struggling to prevent participants of the Jerusalem Day parade from entering Damascus Gate into the Old City, Army Radio says, despite a High Court order to close the gate to marchers at 6:15 p.m.

This route of the parade, which this year comes on the eve of the month-long Muslim festival of Ramadan, includes the Muslim Quarter of the Old City.

WATCH: Israel sends Ramadan greetings to Muslim world

Foreign Ministry Director-General Dore Gold sends greetings to the Muslim world for the start of the month-long festival of Ramadan.

“Congratulations to all Muslims in Israel and the Arab and Islamic world for the coming holy month of Ramadan,” Gold says after a brief message in Arabic.

“We pray to the Almighty that your fasting be accepted; wishing you abundance and prosperity in this holy month. May you celebrate in good health and prosperity for many years to come,” he says.

The fast month begins in Israel on Monday.

WATCH: MFA Director General @DoreGoldMFA's message for #Ramadan: "May you celebrate in good health & prosperity." pic.twitter.com/OMnNptPsIW

— Israel Foreign Min. (@IsraelMFA) June 5, 2016

2 minors arrested for racist remarks during Jerusalem Day march

Two minors are arrested for making racist remarks during the Jerusalem Day parade in the Old City, police say.

The arrests are among the few disruptive incidents during the annual march, which ran through the Muslim Quarter of the Old City.

— Judah Ari Gross

Danon: Heartwarming to see thousands at NYC rally for Israel

Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon lauds the high turnout at the annual Celebrate Israel Parade in Manhattan today.

More than 30,000 people, including state and city officials and Jewish organizations, take part in the parade, Israel’s mission to the UN says.

“It is heartwarming to see tens of thousands of Americans coming out to the streets of New York to show their unwavering support for Israel,” says Danon. “We have true friends in America. This alliance is stronger than ever and is rooted in our joint commitment to the values and ideals that both our countries hold dear.”

Danon marched in the rally with Israel’s Consul General Ido Aharoni, a delegation of MKs and diplomats from Israel, and representatives from pro-Israel organizations.

Rivlin on Jerusalem Day: We are destined, not doomed, to coexist

President Reuven Rivlin tells a ceremony to mark Jerusalem Day that while the capital city embodies “the spirit of the Jewish people,” Jews and Muslims in Israel are destined to coexist.

“We must remember that Jerusalem is a microcosm of Israel’s entire society and the task of [achieving] familiarity between sectors and between tribes is a national one. If we remember that we are not condemned to live together, but are destined to live together, Jerusalem will be not just a city of the past, but also a city of hope, a city of the future,” he says, according to Walla.

“Today more than ever, Jerusalem must be, for all of us, a real commitment,” he says.

Puerto Rico votes as Clinton closes in on Dem nomination

Puerto Ricans vote in the US territory’s Democratic presidential primary and local elections, as front-runner Hillary Clinton draws closer to securing the number of delegates needed to win her party’s White House nomination.

After a blowout victory yesterday in the US Virgin Islands, Clinton is just 60 delegates short of the 2,383 needed to win the Democratic nomination and advance to the November general election, according to an AP count.

There are 60 pledged delegates at stake in Puerto Rico; Clinton needs to win more than 85 percent of the vote to get them all.

— AP

Netanyahu: We have Jerusalem by right, not by charity

Jerusalem is not exempt from problems, but will never return to being a divided and wounded city, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says at a ceremony to mark the 49th anniversary of the capital’s reunification.

“We are in Jerusalem by right and not by charity, and we will continue to develop the city for all its residents,” he says at the ceremony on Ammunition Hill.

The prime minister expresses the desire for a peace agreement with the Palestinians, but says that peace can only be achieved through direct negotiations and not international diktats, Walla reports.

WATCH: Thousands flock to Western Wall on Jerusalem Day

Thousands of Jewish worshipers gather at the Western Wall at the close of Jerusalem Day, which marks the reunification of the city in the 1967 Six Day War.

The worshipers fill the entire prayer section of the Wall, as well as the plaza leading into Judaism’s holiest site.

Some 30,000 people were predicted to attend today’s Jerusalem Day Parade in the Old City, while Israeli officials held a special ceremony at Ammunition Hill, the site of one of the fiercest battles of the 1967 war, and now a national monument.