US slams “racist behavior” at Jerusalem Day parade

Tens of thousands took part in the Jerusalem Flag March on Thursday without major incidents outside of minor scuffles. However, the US State Department roundly condemned as “outrageous and racist” the “Death to Arabs” and other slogans voiced by rowdies as the parade danced its way from Damascus Gate through the Muslim Quarter up to the Western Wall, secured by thousands of police. Pre-march threats came from Palestinian terrorist groups, especially Islamic Jihad, which had just been subjected to a 5-day IDF operation in Gaza, and Hamas, which last year hurled rockets against the event. However, the Iron Dome anti-rocket batteries deployed at sensitive points remained idle. Thursday morning, hundreds of Israelis ascended Temple Mount, including Likud lawmakers and far-right ministers led by Itamar Ben-Gvir, National Security.

In a separate event, several hundred Israelis passed flowers around the Muslim, Christian and Armenian Quarters of the Old City as “a message of love…”