In what amounted to a campaign of Israel-hatred, the media created a lie, a narrative that entirely misreported the recent Jerusalem Day Parade, presenting it as a right-wing extremist event overflowing with racist anger. The event was, in fact, an Israeli tradition usurped by Arab MKs as a platform for their racist policies, supported by reporters who shouted Allahu Akhbar and anti-semitic epithets at parade participants with one journal;ist even spitting at a Jewish celebrant. As per their mandate to protect all Israelis, the Israeli police became the thin blue line but on this occasion, they were protecting the guilty from the innocent.

Joshua Wander, an Israel365 News journalist, was at Sha’ar Shechem (the Damascus Gate) on Tuesday. Many of the media present were Arabs, testifying to Israel’s support of a vibrant and independent media. But this value was sorely tested a few minutes later when the parade arrived.

In the video recorded by Wander, an Israel365 News journalist, the journalists are clearly heard yelling “Allahu Akhbar” (Allah is greater) and other insightful comments.

The video was posted by Wander on the Israel365 News Facebook page but Facebook is not permitting the video to be downloaded or embedded in this article. It can be viewed on the Facebook page. At minute 4:57, as the parade approaches, chants of “Allahu Akhbar” can clearly be heard coming from the press section. At 5:53, one of the journalists can be seen removing a Palestinian flag from a backpack and beginning to unfurl it.

“One woman reporter wearing a Hijab spat at one of the marchers,” Wander said. “When I showed the video of this to the police, I was told that nothing could be done unless the person who was spat upon reported it.” 

Wander, a resident of the Mount of Olives was undaunted despite being one of the very few journalists among the angry crowd of rabidly anti-Israel journalists and at minute 9:48 was shoved and abused by another journalist. The journalist can be heard screaming vile and vulgar curses at the Jewish celebrations. The mainstream media focused on the final reaction of some of the celebrants who began to chant, “Mavet l’aravim” (Death to Arabs).

On Wander’s longer video, it is clear that the parade was almost entirely dedicated to celebrating Jerusalem.

It should be noted that it is precisely this form of duplicitous behavior that is prohibited in Exodus.

You must not carry false rumors; you shall not join hands with the guilty to act as a malicious witness: Exodus 23:1

The march was described in the mainstream media as a controversial “flag parade” carried out by right-wing extremists with the expressed intent of inciting the Arab residents of Jerusalem. The march was, in fact, the Jerusalem Day Parade that has been an annual tradition for over 50 years. The parade was postponed on May 9 when Palestinian mobs attacking Jews in Israeli cities and rockets fired by Hamas targeted Israeli civilians. After being postponed several times, Jews were finally permitted to march through Jerusalem. A heavy police presence limited participation and people were not permitted to observe or join along the route.

The parade was scheduled to make a short stop at the Damascus Gate where, in previous years, the celebrations entered the Old City and descended to the Western Wall Plaza. The Israeli Police did not permit this, limiting the celebrations at the Damascus Gate to only a few minutes before moving to the Yaffo Gate.

Before the parade arrived at the Damascus Gate, a press section was set up and Arab Members of Knesset addressed the press. Access was denied to anyone without a press pass.

Ahmad Tibi, an MK for the Joint Arab List, decried the Supreme court decision that would allow Jewish owners of properties in the Shimon HaTzaddik neighborhood of Jerusalem (inaccurately referred to as the Sheikh Jarra neighborhood) to collect rent from Arab squatters. In his speech, he referred to the Israeli government that he serves in as “the occupation.” Tibi claimed that the only =valid flag that could be displayed in Jerusalem was the Palestinian flag. 

It should be noted that two weeks ago, the Israeli police were wrongly accused of assaulting and detaining an Al Jazeera reporter. The reporter claimed that the police broke her arm. Videos clearly show her assaulting police before her arrest and also show her celebrating upon release by lifting up children. Israel was also condemned for destroying a building in Gaza that housed the offices of Al Jazeera and Associated Press. It was later revealed that the building also housed Hamas facilities designed to hack the Iron Dome defensive anti-missile system.

Israel365 News would like to thank Joshua Wander for going above and beyond the duties of his job to spread the light of truth and Torah into the world.