Lapid condemns Flag march slurs: 'This is not Judaism and not Israeli'

• Published date: 15 June 2021
• Author: JEREMY SHARON
• Date: 15 June 2021
• Publication title: Jerusalem Post, The: Web Edition Articles (Israel)

"The fact that there are extremists for whom the Israeli flag represents hate and racism is abominable and intolerable," Lapid said. "It is incomprehensible how one can hold an Israeli flag in one's hand and shout 'death to Arabs' at the same time."

Lapid added that "this is not Judaism and not Israeli and it certainly is not what our flag symbolizes. These people shame the people of Israel."

During a situation assessment that took place at the end of the flag march, Public Security Minister Omer Bar Lev - who initially approved the march only a day beforehand - thanked police for successfully completing their operation, saying they "acted wisely, considerately, within a complex system of constraints and a changing picture of reality."

"The operational plan presented to me last night proved itself and led to a successful conclusion of the event," he said. "Thank you to all the forces and commanders on the ground.'

Ra'am Party head MK Mansour Abbas said on Tuesday afternoon that his party, a coalition partner, urged all sides to show restraint as the flag march proceeded through the Old City of Jerusalem, a move which he said was an "unrestrained provocation" and which should have been canceled.

The march stopped outside the Damascus Gate for dancing and proceeded outside the Old City walls to the Jaffa Gate where participants wound through the Arab market between the Jewish and Muslim quarters and into the Western Wall plaza.

The march was staged by nationalist right-wing and religious organizations. In normal years, marchers frequently chant anti-Arab slogans during the procession through the Muslim Quarter.

"The flag parade in Jerusalem today is an unrestrained provocation, its essence lies in shouts of hatred and incitement to violence, and an attempt to reignite the region for political purposes," Abbas sad in a statement. "The Internal Security Minister and the police should have canceled it."

"I call on all parties not to be dragged into escalation and to maintain maximum restraint," he said.

"There is no doubt that the aim of the initiators of the march is to challenge the new government and exhaust it in a series of explosive incidents in the near future, and to take us back to an unnecessary escalation that will endanger human lives, similar to what we experienced last month."

"Ra'am calls for political efforts to be made in order to reach a political settlement between the Israeli and Palestinian peoples، one that would fulfill the vision we...