High Court okays nationalist Jerusalem Day march through Muslim Quarter

19 May 2019, 2:57 pm

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The High Court has rejected a petition from left-wing organization Ir Amim to move the route of a nationalist march to mark Jerusalem Day on June 2.

The Flag March is an annual parade which passes through the Muslim Quarter of Jerusalem’s Old City to mark the city’s liberation in 1967.

Thousands of Jewish marchers wave the Israeli flags as they celebrate Jerusalem Day by dancing through Damascus Gate on their way to the Western Wall in the Old City of Jerusalem, May 13, 2018. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

The march is usually attended by far-right activists and the Muslim Quarter route has been the source of tensions in the past. Shopkeepers are usually told to close early and residents are made to stay at home as flag-waving nationalists march by.

Ir Amim had argued that tensions would be heightened because of the overlap with the last days of Ramadan, slated to end June 5.

In their decision, the judges note that police have committed to keep order during the march and say Ir Amim does not have standing in the case to file a petition for an injunction.