Far-right Israelis to hold controversial flag march on June 15

By Hamdi Yildiz

JERUSALEM (AA) - Israel’s security cabinet announced Tuesday that a flag-waving parade planned by far-right groups in occupied East Jerusalem will be held on June 15.

The route of the march will be determined by an agreement between the police and the organizers, it said in a written statement.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed the importance of reaching a broad consensus on the flag march, it added.

Far-right Israeli groups earlier called for the flag march to pass through the Old City's Damascus Gate in occupied East Jerusalem.

Several security and military officials, including Defense Minister Benny Gantz, warned against allowing the march for fears of inflaming the situation with the Palestinians.

The march had originally been planned for May 10 to mark what Israelis call the day of unifying Jerusalem, in reference to Israel’s occupation of the city in 1967, but was canceled amid tensions that escalated into 11 days of fighting between Israel and Palestinian resistance factions in Gaza.