Israeli Colonists March to ‘Celebrate’ Their ‘Capture’ of East Jerusalem.
May 15 marks the 78th anniversary of the First Nakba (English: catastrophe) in Palestine.
The significance of that number, 78, is staggering.
How has a small community of oppressed men, women, and children—deprived of every right enjoyed by free individuals around the world—endured for so long? How have they survived 78 years filled with pain, humiliation, torture, murder, rape, and subjugation? And how can the Western media and Hollywood, which once portrayed the horrors of Auschwitz as a ‘triumph of the human spirit over pure evil,’ now reverse those roles, labeling the victims as evil and the perpetrators as the chosen people of God fulfilling divine will?
If that sounds sacrilegious, it is. A god inspiring a group of individuals to kill 20,000 children by shooting them at point-blank range is not a god of compassion. Such a figure might represent the president of the United States or the leader of the genocidal gangs of Israel, but not the God of Abraham, Jesus, and Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon them all.
However, a murderer is rarely satisfied with the act of murder alone; they often return to the crime scene to witness the mourning that follows, seeking gratification from their evil deeds. The Zionist regime in Israel is no different. Thus, today, just before Palestinians commemorate the Nakba, thousands of Zionists paraded through the Muslim Quarter of Jerusalem’s Old City to ‘celebrate the capture‘ of the city during the 1967 war—an occupation that is not recognized by the United Nations or most other countries.
This parade, the highlight of Jerusalem Day, is a demonstration of force by Zionists but is seen by Palestinians as a blatant provocation aimed at undermining their connection to the city.
Israeli authorities deployed thousands of police officers, some in riot gear, throughout Jerusalem, particularly at Damascus Gate, the main entrance to the historic Muslim Quarter.
The police erected barricades around the Damascus Gate area, restricting access for Palestinians who do not reside in the Old City. Palestinian shopkeepers reported being forced to close their businesses in anticipation of the parade.
This event is not new; it occurs annually. The parade often escalates tensions, as Zionists and settler groups march through Palestinian neighborhoods in the Old City, chanting slogans like “Death to Arabs.”
The parade route stretches from West Jerusalem to the Western Wall, a dilapidated remnant of an ancient retaining structure sacred to Zionists and considered a vestige of their faith’s two ancient temples, one of which is referred to as the Temple Mount. Muslims call this site Al Haram Al Sharif, or the Noble Sanctuary, the third-holiest site in Islam.
Why do such provocations occur so frequently, especially in this part of Jerusalem? Muslims have long claimed that East Jerusalem is the capital of a future Palestinian state, which prompts Israelis to assert their own claim to the area.
On a more positive note, around 300 activists from ‘Standing Together‘ and allied groups gathered in sensitive areas, including the Muslim Quarter, to help prevent violence, vandalism, and provocative chants that have previously led to clashes during marches. Rula Daoud, the movement’s co-director, stated that they aimed to protect Palestinian residents and businesses.
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