JERUSALEM (AP) — Large crowds of ultranationalist Jews gathered Thursday at the foot of Jerusalem’s Damascus Gate, chanting racist slogans like “Death to Arabs” and “May your villages burn” as they began an annual parade through the Palestinian areas of the Old City, a procession often characterized by violence.

The young, mostly male group did their chanting under the eye of Israeli police, who had barred off parts of the plaza for journalists to cover the event safely. Normally a bustling marketplace for Palestinian residents of east Jerusalem, the area was devoid of Palestinians, many of whom had barricaded themselves inside their homes and closed their shops for the day.

The march commemorates what Israel calls Jerusalem Day, marking Israel’s capture of east Jerusalem, including the Old City and its holy sites sacred to Jews, Christians and Muslims, in the 1967 Mideast war. This year it comes as the country moves toward new elections, and Israel’s hard-line government is eager to bolster support among its religious and nationalist base.

  • Rat_in_a_hat@lemmy.ca
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    5 hours ago

    The procession often leads to violent confrontations between ultranationalists and Palestinian residents

    So lynchings and group beatings are downplayed as “confrontations”.

    The article also mentions that it’s “young” people to try and excuse it, but then goes on to mention that fuckface Ben Gvir was in attendance earlier in the day.

    To add a little bit of insider context to AP News that is supposed to be one of the journals of record - the past few years they’ve fired anyone that was critical of Israel to maintain their “neutrality” but there were no changes to their editor board who are bias towards Israel.