JERUSALEM (JTA) — The annual Jerusalem Day march will still go through the Muslim Quarter of the Old City after the Supreme Court rejected a petition to change its route.
The court ordered police to arrest any participants who shout racist slogans or engage in violence or vandalism during Sunday’s march. Arab residents of the Old City must be given full access to their homes and businesses during the march, the ruling also said.
“With a heavy heart, we reject the petition,” Supreme Court Justice Elyakim Rubinstein reportedly said.
The petition was filed by the Israeli NGOs Ir Amim and Tag Meir.
Last year, marchers were caught on video shouting “Death to Arabs” and “Muhammad is dead.”
Thousands of Israelis waving Israeli flags participate in the annual Jerusalem Day march of flags entering the Old City through the Muslim Quarter and making its way to the Western Wall. Jerusalem Day marks the reunification of the city following the 1967 Six-Day War.
