As Israelis marked “Jerusalem Day,” a commemoration of Israel’s capture of the eastern half of the city in 1967 with a parade through the Old City, a group of left-wing American Jews and Israelis blocked their path with a sit-in. Annually the “march of the flags” starts with rallies in the western half of the Jerusalem, followed by tens of thousands of mostly teenaged Israelis marching with banners through the Muslim Quarter, ending at the Western Wall.
For Palestinians, it is a bitter day. Israeli police close shops in the Muslim and Christian quarters early, clearing a path for the flag parade.
Traditionally the march is accompanied by Palestinians protesting outside of the Old City walls, voicing dissent against what is regarded as a celebration of Israel’s occupation of Jerusalem and the West Bank.
Israel views Jerusalem as its capital, first taken by force during the June 1967 war, and then formally annexed by a Knesset law in 1980.
This year the parade was obstructed by liberal Jews for the first time in recent memory.
The organization IfNotNow, responsible for staging a protest outside of AIPAC’s annual policy conference earlier this year with thousands taking part in the demonstration, headed up the action.
Israeli police disbanded the sit-in a confrontation that was captured on social media. Police broke the arm of one activist, IfNotNow confirmed over social media.
IfNotNow released a statement today explaining they were “stormed by a group of right-wing Israeli extremists” and “violently dispersed” the protesters:
More than 50 Jewish anti-Occupation activists from around the world joined with Israelis on Wednesday in a non-violent demonstration in opposition to the annual March of the Flags, a violent event that celebrates the Israeli capture and occupation of East Jerusalem following the Six-Day War in 1967. During the course of the protest, several Israeli and international Jews were injured — including at least one person who suffered a broken arm — after refusing to allow the police to force Palestinian shops in the Old City to close.
The activists intentionally formed a blockade as right-wing Israeli marchers began assaulting Palestinians outside the Damascus Gate. Once the blockade was formed, the protestors were stormed by a group of right-wing Israeli extremists. The Israeli authorities violently dispersed the activists. At least one American Jewish activist may have a broken arm and is en route to the hospital.
American Jews protesting occupation getting ripped apart from their sit in by Israeli security #50yearstoomany #disruptJday pic.twitter.com/MJvNtCYpqb
— Naomi Dann (@naomi_dann) May 24, 2017
Sitting in at Damascus Gate #DisruptJDay #JerusalemDay #50yearstoomany pic.twitter.com/dOY6bnyKZI
— Naomi Dann (@naomi_dann) May 24, 2017
Jewish anti-occupation activists trying to block right wing extremists from entering the Muslim quarter #disruptJday #50yearstoomany pic.twitter.com/cATzQNoxzV
— Naomi Dann (@naomi_dann) May 24, 2017
After violently dragging out anti-occupation Jewish activists, soldiers shake hands with right-wing Israelis #disruptJDay pic.twitter.com/dYrsqcNL0H
— Naomi Dann (@naomi_dann) May 24, 2017
CONFIRMED: news from the hospital, one of our members did have her arm broken by Israeli security forces during today’s sit-in #DisruptJDay pic.twitter.com/7tDmDQ4vnZ
— IfNotNow (@IfNotNowOrg) May 24, 2017
#DisruptJDay singing Jewish song ‘Lo Yisa Goy’:
A nation shall not raise
A sword against a nation
And they shall not learn
Any more war pic.twitter.com/peNSI1SzKp— IfNotNow (@IfNotNowOrg) May 24, 2017
This is how the Israeli security forces treat Jews at a non-violent sit-in. Imagine how they treat Palestinians #DisruptJDay #50YearsTooMany pic.twitter.com/G5j19Msu8I
— IfNotNow (@IfNotNowOrg) May 24, 2017
Palestinians also protested the parade:
Tense moment in #JerusalemDay as Zionist youth rush a group of Palestinian women. Soliders now hitting Palestinian youth. #DisruptJDay pic.twitter.com/AjRX6UrfI4
— Adam Greenberg (@pragmactivist) May 24, 2017
Thanks Allison, nothing on this in US mainstream news
bless them.
I hope “Jon s” didn’t get badly hurt at the demo.
Oh boy, a picture is really worth a thousand words. Thanks for sharing! I guess the Jewish State does have to break a few Jewish bones from time to time.
So now liberal Zionists can co-opt Palestinian resistance in Palestine too? Fuck INN, just go away.