The Jerusalem Day march passed off without incident despite fears that its route through the Muslim quarter of the Old City could spark violence.
The march by religious Zionist youth, which took place on Sunday afternoon, has become an annual source of tension.
In previous years, marchers celebrating Jerusalem Day - which commemorates the capture of the Old City and East Jerusalem in the 1967 Six Day War - were recorded shouting racist abuse at Arabs, and committing acts of vandalism.
On Thursday, a petition was filed at the High Court by Ir Amim, an NGO, and Amir Cheshin, a former Arab affairs adviser to Jerusalem’s mayor, demanding that the court instruct the police to bar the march from the Muslim Quarter.
According to Haaretz, on Sunday the court ruled that the march should go ahead along the route planned. However, it also instructed organisers of the event to begin the parade 15 minutes earlier than originally planned, meaning that no Jewish marchers would be present in the Muslim Quarter for the beginning of Ramadan at 7:43pm.
Mayor Nir Barkat told Army Radio: “Jerusalem is celebrating; this march is appropriate. On the face of it, I don’t think there will be any problems — this route for the flag parade has been in place for years.”
Hundreds of police officers were deployed throughout the capital ahead of the Jerusalem Day celebrations.
Police said they would show “zero tolerance to any displays of physical or verbal violence, and will use all the tools at its disposal against rioters and those breaking the law, and will see they are [punished] to the full extent of the law.”
