National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir ascended the Temple Mount in Jerusalem’s Old City on Thursday ahead of the planned Jerusalem Day flag march.
Ben-Gvir declared the Temple Mount to be “in our hands” amid rising tensions ahead of the flag march, stressing he had “restored sovereignty on the Temple Mount thanks to determination and deterrence.”
59 שנים אחרי שחרור ירושלים הנפתי את דגל ישראל בהר הבית ואפשר לומר בגאווה: החזרנו את המשילות להר הבית.
השנה עבר הרמדאן השקט ביותר מזה שנים ארוכות, בזכות עבודה קשה, מדיניות נחושה ושוטרים ולוחמים שפעלו יום ולילה למען ביטחון אזרחי ישראל ושמירה על הסדר בירושלים.
היום, יותר מתמיד -… pic.twitter.com/1MDnnwViMB
— איתמר בן גביר (@itamarbengvir) May 14, 2026
Later, Ben-Gvir arrived at Jerusalem’s Damascus Gate, along with the police chief.
On Thursday afternoon, the Israel Police announced that they had arrested a suspect who had been planning a terror attack during the Jerusalem Day celebrations.
The police located the suspect at a carwash after receiving intelligence about his plans. The suspect was arrested and taken in for interrogation by the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency).
Left-wing activists clash with youths, settlers
Earlier on Thursday, Israeli activisits from across the political spectrum clashed in Jerusalem’s Old City ahead of the flag march.
In one outburst of violence, a group of youths got into an altercation with Old City residents and left-wing activists from the Standing Together movement, including throwing chairs at them.
לפני מצעד הדגלים: עימותים בעיר העתיקה בירושליםhttps://t.co/Sx4pQkNab3@Yossi_eli @yishaiporat @RotemGolan_ pic.twitter.com/KKlJr5sgUO
— חדשות 13 (@newsisrael13) May 14, 2026
In another case, the left-wing activists were escorted out of the Old City by Israel Police during what the activists referred to as a “solidarity guard” meant to provide protection to local Arabs and Palestinians over fears of violence during the march.
RIGHT NOW: Hundreds of our Solidarity Guard activists are in Jerusalem to provide protective presence during Jerusalem Day, when extremist settlers flood the city and Palestinian residents close their businesses and stay inside for fear of being harassed. pic.twitter.com/2p2ijIkxlQ
— עומדים ביחד نقف معًا Standing Together🟣 (@omdimbeyachad) May 14, 2026
The activists, Standing Together added, were there to prevent “extremist settlers” from harming Palestinian residents of the old city during the march.
One video on social media showed participants in the flag march singing, “May your village burn” as they walked through the Old City.
תיעוד: משתתפי מצעד הדגלים בעיר העתיקה בשירת “שיישרף לכם הכפר”
(צילום: רוזה ניוז) @VeredPelman pic.twitter.com/DWBGG3iYlM
— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) May 14, 2026
Police closed down roads in Jerusalem on Thursday afternoon, announcing that they would reopen them as the flag march progressed.
The police also announced that they had arrested 13 people, Jews and Arabs, in the wake of the altercations throughout the day.
Earlier this week, Democrats MK Rabbi Gilad Kariv warned the Israel Police that this year’s Jerusalem Day flag march poses a serious risk to non-Jewish residents of Jerusalem.
Kariv cited recent racist and nationalistic attacks on Christians in recent weeks, along with the long history of the flag march resulting in violence and chaos in the Muslim Quarter, as evidence of the increased risk this year.
