' fill='%230E4F97'%3E%3Cg id='Group-5' transform='translate(370.000000, 11.000000)'%3E%3Cg id='avatar' transform='translate(6.000000, 4.000000)'%3E%3Ccircle id='Oval' cx='8' cy='4' r='4'%3E%3C/circle%3E%3Cpath d='M7.12864205,10 L8.87135795,10 C11.558649,10 14.0087196,11.5384024 15.1762205,13.958831 L16,15.6666667 L16,15.6666667 L15.3374858,17.5134983 C15.228016,17.8186575 14.9774027,18.051811 14.6651459,18.1389975 L8,20 L8,20 L1.33485405,18.1389975 C1.02259733,18.051811 0.771984007,17.8186575 0.662514216,17.5134983 L0,15.6666667 L0,15.6666667 L0.823779545,13.958831 C1.99128041,11.5384024 4.44135104,10 7.12864205,10 Z' id='Rectangle'%3E%3C/path%3E%3C/g%3E%3C/g%3E%3C/g%3E%3C/g%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Live UpdateFrom the Liveblog of Thursday, May 18, 2023
Police begin closing streets ahead of Jerusalem Day Flag March
A police officer stands guard as Israelis wave flags ahead of a march marking Jerusalem Day, in front of the Damascus Gate of Jerusalem's Old City, May 18, 2023. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)
The Israel Police are beginning to close a number of major streets in the capital ahead of the annual Jerusalem Day Flag March.
The major thoroughfares to be shut include King George and Keren Hayesod as well as Ben Zvi, Bezalel, Agron, King Solomon and several others.
Light rail service near the Old City will also be halted. Streets are slated to reopen around 7 p.m. at the conclusion of the events.
Over 3,000 police officers are expected to be deployed across the city for the march, which is expected to draw tens of thousands of largely Orthodox Jewish nationalists.
