Ben-Gvir declares ownership of Temple Mount as extremists clash in Jerusalem ahead of flag march

Lead

Israel marked its 59th Jerusalem Day on May 14 with a flag march through the Old City, a day that saw National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir declare the Temple Mount "in our hands" amid clashes between far-right marchers, Palestinian residents, and left-wing activists. Tens of thousands of people participated in the annual march, which wound through the streets of the Old City, including the Muslim Quarter, and ended at the Western Wall, as reported by the Jerusalem Post.

Coverage Comparison

Reporting on the day's events differed in emphasis. The Jerusalem Post framed the day largely as a celebration, noting the holiday's coincidence with the anniversary of the Israeli Declaration of Independence and describing the festive atmosphere. Al Jazeera's coverage was more critical, focusing on attacks on Palestinians, settler incursions, and what it described as dispossession. Africa News provided a neutral account of preparations, highlighting the efforts of the Jewish-Palestinian movement Standing Together to prevent violence.

Key Claims

Ben-Gvir, who ascended the Temple Mount ahead of the march, was quoted by the Jerusalem Post as saying he had "restored sovereignty on the Temple Mount thanks to determination and deterrence." Al Jazeera reported that he raised the Israeli flag in the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound and declared "the Temple Mount is in our hands," using the Jewish term for the site. A fellow legislator from Ben-Gvir's party was reported by Al Jazeera to have prostrated himself before the Dome of the Rock and called for the removal of all mosques.

Al Jazeera reported that tens of thousands of "ultra-nationalist" Israelis marched through the Old City chanting "death to Arabs" and "may your villages burn," while attacking Palestinian shops and residents. The same outlet said Israeli authorities barred men under 60 and women under 50 from entering Al-Aqsa that morning, clearing it for settler incursions, with more than 2,200 such visits during the week according to the Palestinian Authority's Jerusalem Governorate. Al Jazeera also reported that Israel Police forced Palestinian shop owners to close in the Christian Quarter, where far-right marchers vandalised property.

Standing Together activists, numbering about 200 to 300, attempted to stand between marchers and Palestinians. Africa News reported they handed out flowers, greeted residents in Arabic, and positioned themselves near Palestinian shops and neighbourhoods. The Jerusalem Post noted that some of these activists were escorted out of the Old City by police during what the activists called a "solidarity guard," and that in one incident, youths threw chairs at left-wing activists.

Israeli police deployed large security forces along the route, including barriers, mounted officers, and reinforced patrols, according to Africa News. The Jerusalem Post reported that police arrested a suspect who had been planning a terror attack during the celebrations. Many Palestinian-owned shops closed early over fears of unrest, as reported by Africa News, and several roads leading to the Old City were sealed from mid-afternoon.

Perspectives

Israeli Government/Minister Ben-Gvir: Ben-Gvir stressed that he had "restored sovereignty on the Temple Mount," framing his actions as a demonstration of determination and deterrence.

Democrats MK Rabbi Gilad Kariv: Kariv warned the Israel Police that the flag march poses a serious risk to non-Jewish residents of Jerusalem, citing recent racist and nationalistic attacks on Christians and the march's history of violence and chaos in the Muslim Quarter. He urged police to reroute the march away from the Muslim Quarter and to quell racist acts.

Standing Together: The movement's co-director, Rula Daoud, said the aim of the activists was to protect Palestinian residents and businesses from violence and provocation during the march.

Al Jazeera's framing: The outlet's coverage emphasised what it called violence and dispossession, highlighting settler incursions, attacks on Palestinians, and what it described as Israeli government actions that "signal an Israeli government determined to impose facts on the ground before elections later this year."