Despite requests filed with police and city officials, the Jerusalem Day Flag Parade scheduled for Sunday, 28 Iyar, will pass through the so-called Muslim Quarter of Jerusalem’s Old City as it does annually.

There have been requests made with police to reroute the parade and prohibit marchers from entering the Muslim Quarter because this year, Yom Yerushalayim coincides with the first night of Ramadan.

For the time being at least organizers report the parade will take the Muslim Quarter route as in the past.

Thousands of participants take place in the parade, which has separate routes for men and women. Police are preparing for the event, which will take place under the watchful eyes of a large police deployment.

According to the plan approved for this year, women will march through the city center to Shar Yaffo and men will enter the Old City via Shar Shechem. There will be ushers on hand in addition to police to avoid disturbances in the Muslim Quarter as was the case last year.

Left-wingers continue applying pressure in the hope of having the Muslim Quarter excluded from the parade route.

Jerusalem Day (Yom Yerushalayim) marks the liberation of the holy city from Jordanian occupation during the June 1967 Six Day War.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)