Flag march to go ahead after Netanyahu, Gantz reach agreement

The decision to reinstate the march on a different date was made on Tuesday evening at a Security Cabinet meeting.

JUNE 9, 2021 08:27

Israelis hold flags and walk on the walls surrounding Jerusalem’s Old City while celebrating Jerusalem Day on May 21 (photo credit: RONEN ZVULUN / REUTERS) — Israelis hold flags and walk on the walls surrounding Jerusalem’s Old City while celebrating Jerusalem Day on May 21

(photo credit: RONEN ZVULUN / REUTERS)

The controversial Jerusalem flag march will go ahead next Tuesday, June 15, after the police decision to cancel the Thursday event due to safety concerns was approved by the security cabinet.

The decision to reinstate the march on a different date was made on Tuesday evening at a security cabinet meeting. During the meeting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Beny Gantz reached a compromise that would ostensibly appeal to everyone, allowing the march to take place but on a later date, and the cabinet voted to accept the motion.

The controversial flag march through the Old City of Jerusalem that was scheduled to take place this Thursday but was called off on Monday after Israel Police rejected the organizers’ request that participants be allowed to march through the Old City’s Damascus Gate.

The police emphasized that while the submitted route of the march had been rejected, it could be approved if the route were to change to exclude Damascus Gate.

The march was viewed as a possible way to set off violence on the eve of the swearing in of a new government in the Knesset.

Public Security Minister Amir Ohana announced on Army Radio on Monday evening that he intended to override Israel police chief Kobi Shabtai's decision to cancel the flag march.

"We do not usually interfere in these type of decisions made by the police, but because of the national and political importance of the incident, we want to make the decision ourselves - and it will happen in the next day," said Ohana.

Responding to Ohana on Twitter, Labor MK Gilad Kariv called his announcement "another chapter in the outgoing government's attempt to leave a scorched earth behind."

Reacting to the government's decision, Otzma Yehudit leader Itamar Ben-Gvir said that he rejects the police decision and called it "a surrender to Hamas and folding before a terrorist organization."

He said he is still planning to march in Jerusalem with Israeli flags on Thursday afternoon, despite the decision to reschedule it to Tuesday.

Stay updated with the latest news!

Subscribe to The Jerusalem Post Newsletter

Subscribe Now

Idan Zonshine contributed to this report.