Inside Israel’s Flag March and the erasure of Palestinians in Jerusalem

Inside Israel’s Flag March and the erasure of Palestinians in Jerusalem By midday, the Muslim Quarter of Jerusalem’s Old City in  occupied  East Jerusalem had largely emptied. "If I don't want to get attacked, I have to close," said Fadi, a 48-year-old shopkeeper, as he pulled a table inside and began lowering his metal shutter. Under normal circumstances, Thursdays are vibrant and bustling in the Old City. But ahead of the annual  Flag March  by ultra-nationalist  Israelis  - marking “Jerusalem Day” and deliberately routed through the Muslim Quarter -  Palestinian  residents and traders were forced to shut up shop, barricade themselves indoors, or leave the area altogether. Even so, groups of far-right settlers, donning their infamous knitted kippahs and long peyot, began marching through the streets hours before official festivities had started.  Read more:  Inside Israel’s Flag March and the erasure of Palestinians in Jerusalem A man waves an Israeli flag above crowds gathered at the Western Wall, next to Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem, during the annual Flag March on 14 May 2026 (Ronen Zvulun/Reuters)

Original source: Middle East Eye