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“Flag March is an abomination,” says Daniel Seidemann, a lawyer who has spent his life studying Jerusalem and its role at the heart of the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians.
He is deeply worried about Wednesday, when tens of thousands of Israelis will join the ultranationalist march through the most sensitive district of the city as part of events for Jerusalem Day, which commemorates Israel's full capture of the city in 1967.
“Every year it’s an abomination: the shouts of abuse, the raging through Al Wad Street, far-right Israelis pounding on doors behind which Palestinians are cowering,” Mr Seidemann adds.
“The police announcing they won’t do anything in response to chants, which include ‘death to Arabs’ and ‘may your villages burn’ and not one public figure in Israel condemning them.”
Mr Seidemann is speaking to The National the day before this year’s Flag March, which traditionally goes through the Muslim Quarter of Jerusalem’s Old City.
The route passes Al Aqsa Mosque – the third holiest site in Islam that many of the marchers want to replace with a third Jewish temple.
The event always causes extreme tension, not only for Palestinians but for people across the Middle East.
In 2021, tensions over the Flag March helped spark 11 days of fighting between Israel and Hamas.
This year it comes after nearly eight months of a far worse conflict in Gaza which has also dragged the occupied West Bank to the brink of explosion and pushed Israel and Hezbollah to the verge of war.
Jerusalem has stayed relatively calm, at least in comparison with the violence of these other arenas.
But there is a chance tomorrow's march might change that. If it does, the ramifications would be huge, Mr Seidemann says.
“This year is special circumstances. If I was asked to evaluate what the odds are of violence in Jerusalem, I would say it’s gone from 4 per cent to 8 per cent, so it likely won’t explode, but it’s far from impossible,” he says.
“If it does explode, that’s a regional war.”
Sami Abu Shehadeh, a Palestinian citizen of Israel and chairman of the opposition party Balad, says Jerusalem Day is “the most racist day on the Israeli calendar, because it touches the most sacred and sensitive issue for Palestinians: Al Aqsa Mosque”.
He believes far-right politicians in the current government, particularly National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, want the day to spark a regional war.
“Ben Gvir is a pyromaniac and a very dangerous man for Israelis, Palestinians and the Middle East,” Mr Abu Shehadeh says.
Mr Ben Gvir vowed in an interview on Tuesday morning to go to the Al Aqsa compound on Jerusalem Day.
“I wish Itamar Ben Gvir was the only issue: a racist, crazy, pyromaniac. The problem is he’s a minister in the Israeli government, within which you don’t find anyone attacking his dangerous, racist behaviour,” Mr Abu Shehadeh says.
“It gives you a feeling that there is a consensus on racism and provocation.”
Mr Ben Gvir might be the politician most closely associated with the Flag March, but both Mr Seidemann and Mr Abu Shehadeh lay blame for the risk it poses at the feet of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“The decision of whether Ben Gvir is to go to Al Aqsa tomorrow is not his, it’s Netanyahu’s,” Mr Seidemann says.
“This is not something that any responsible government would allow to happen under these circumstances.”
Mr Seidemann stresses that Jerusalem has weathered other tense moments since the latest Gaza war began on October 7.
“There was another far-right march that was supposed to take place in December, but under high-level international pressure was cancelled. There was Ramadan, but that was kept calm. There are any number of dangerous episodes that have taken place. This is one of the more serious ones.”
Mr Abu Shehadeh feels that events have reached a point where the Flag March is unlikely to make things worse.
“There is nothing uniquely worse about Flag March. Terrible things have been happening every day since October 7. Not just in terms of war crimes in Gaza but all over the West Bank and Jerusalem. Palestinians are being killed daily. So I don’t expect tomorrow to be worse – the situation is already bad enough.”
Israel's police said they would deploy more than 3,000 officers for the march and that they “will act decisively against any attempt to disrupt order and law”.
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid
When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
Key figures in the life of the fort
Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.
Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.
Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.
Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
Voices: How A Great Singer Can Change Your Life
Nick Coleman
Jonathan Cape
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
'How To Build A Boat'
Jonathan Gornall, Simon & Schuster
LA LIGA FIXTURES
Friday (UAE kick-off times)
Real Sociedad v Leganes (midnight)
Saturday
Alaves v Real Valladolid (4pm)
Valencia v Granada (7pm)
Eibar v Real Madrid (9.30pm)
Barcelona v Celta Vigo (midnight)
Sunday
Real Mallorca v Villarreal (3pm)
Athletic Bilbao v Levante (5pm)
Atletico Madrid v Espanyol (7pm)
Getafe v Osasuna (9.30pm)
Real Betis v Sevilla (midnight)
A State of Passion
Directors: Carol Mansour and Muna Khalidi
Stars: Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah
Rating: 4/5
Hales' batting career
Tests 11; Runs 573; 100s 0; 50s 5; Avg 27.38; Best 94
ODIs 58; Runs 1,957; 100s 5; 50s 11; Avg 36.24; Best 171
T20s 52; Runs 1,456; 100s 1; 50s 7; Avg 31.65; Best 116 not out
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
How to keep control of your emotions
If your investment decisions are being dictated by emotions such as fear, greed, hope, frustration and boredom, it is time for a rethink, Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at online trading platform IG, says.
Greed
Greedy investors trade beyond their means, open more positions than usual or hold on to positions too long to chase an even greater gain. “All too often, they incur a heavy loss and may even wipe out the profit already made.
Tip: Ignore the short-term hype, noise and froth and invest for the long-term plan, based on sound fundamentals.
Fear
The risk of making a loss can cloud decision-making. “This can cause you to close out a position too early, or miss out on a profit by being too afraid to open a trade,” he says.
Tip: Start with a plan, and stick to it. For added security, consider placing stops to reduce any losses and limits to lock in profits.
Hope
While all traders need hope to start trading, excessive optimism can backfire. Too many traders hold on to a losing trade because they believe that it will reverse its trend and become profitable.
Tip: Set realistic goals. Be happy with what you have earned, rather than frustrated by what you could have earned.
Frustration
Traders can get annoyed when the markets have behaved in unexpected ways and generates losses or fails to deliver anticipated gains.
Tip: Accept in advance that asset price movements are completely unpredictable and you will suffer losses at some point. These can be managed, say, by attaching stops and limits to your trades.
Boredom
Too many investors buy and sell because they want something to do. They are trading as entertainment, rather than in the hope of making money. As well as making bad decisions, the extra dealing charges eat into returns.
Tip: Open an online demo account and get your thrills without risking real money.
