CAIRO, May 26 (Xinhua) -- The Arab League on Thursday warned against a planned march by Jewish nationalists in East Jerusalem.
"The provocative flag march will jeopardize security, stability, and efforts of mitigating the escalating tensions," said Saeed Abu Ali, Arab League assistant secretary-general for Palestine affairs and occupied Arab territories.
The controversial "flag march" is due to take place on Sunday to mark Jerusalem Day, which commemorates the unification of the city after Israel annexed East Jerusalem in 1967.
Condemning "in the strongest terms" the Israeli decision to allow the flag march to pass through Islamic neighborhoods in East Jerusalem, Ali said the march would blatantly provoke the Palestinian people and the Arab nations and lead to more tension and violence.
He urged the Israeli government to immediately call off "the flag march," calling it a blatant violation of the international laws, and held the Israeli side "full responsibility for any violent escalations."
On Wednesday, Israeli media reported that the police ordered a state of alert in Jerusalem and Israel for fear of an outbreak of violence during the flag march planned for Sunday.
Last week, the Israeli police agreed to allow the flag march to pass on its regular route through Damascus Gate and the Islamic Quarter in East Jerusalem.
In May 2021, the flag march in Jerusalem led up to a military conflict between Israel and Hamas, ruling faction of the Gaza Strip, which lasted 11 days and killed more than 260 Palestinians and 14 Israelis. ■
