Israel marks 59th Jerusalem Day with Old City flag march, nationwide celebrations

Jerusalem Post/Israel News/Israel Culture This year, the holiday fell on May 14, which is also the anniversary of the Israeli Declaration of Independence.Israelis take part in the annual Jerusalem Day flag march in the capital, May 14, 2026(photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THE JERUSALEM POST)ByTZVI JASPERMAY 14, 2026 20:29Israel marked its 59th Jerusalem Day celebration on Thursday with a flag march through the Old City and festivities nationwide.ISRAELIS CELEBRATE Jerusalem Day, May 14, 2026. (Credit: Sam Halpern)The day comes to celebrate the reunification of Jerusalem following the Six-Day War in 1967. This year it also fell on May 14, which is also the anniversary of the Israeli Declaration of Independence.ISRAELIS CELEBRATE Jerusalem Day, May 14, 2026. (Credit: Sam Halpern)Tens of thousands of people poured into Jerusalem to celebrate the holiday and participate in the annual flag march, in which thousands bearing Israeli flags march through the streets of the Old City, including the Muslim Quarter, ending at the Western Wall.ISRAELIS CELEBRATE Jerusalem Day, May 14, 2026. (Credit: Sam Halpern)Ben-Gvir declares sovereignty over Temple MountBefore the march, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir ascended the Temple Mount in the Old City, declaring it to be "in our hands," and stressing that he had "restored sovereignty on the Temple Mount thanks to determination and deterrence."ISRAELIS CELEBRATE Jerusalem Day, May 14, 2026. (Credit: Sam Halpern)Later that afternoon, the Israel Police announced that they had arrested a suspect who had been planning a terror attack during the Jerusalem Day celebrations.ISRAELIS CELEBRATE Jerusalem Day, May 14, 2026. (Credit: Sam Halpern)There were also several reports of Israeli activists from across the political spectrum who clashed in Jerusalem's Old City ahead of the flag march.Jerusalem Post Staff contributed to this report.