JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli police made a dozen arrests Wednesday as scuffles erupted between Arabs and Israelis who were marching across Jerusalem to mark the anniversary of Israel’s capture of the eastern part of the city in the 1967 Mideast war.
Thousands of Israelis marched through the city Wednesday waving flags and dancing for Jerusalem Day celebrations Wednesday.
The procession went through the largely Arab neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah, past a contentious Jewish enclave there. Left-wing protesters scuffled with marchers and two people were arrested.
Police spokesman Mickey Rosenfeld said one Israeli and one Arab were later hurt when the sides threw rocks at each other near Jerusalem’s Old City. Rosenfeld said four Arabs and a tourist were arrested for assaulting the Israeli marchers.
Two other Arabs, a man and a woman, were arrested for yelling anti-Semitic slurs, including praise for Adolph Hitler and for spitting at the marchers.
Five Israelis also were arrested for attacking Arabs, Rosenfeld said.
Palestinians claim east Jerusalem as the capital of their future state.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Jerusalem will never be divided. His long-standing policy puts him at odds with the Palestinians and much of the world.
The future of Jerusalem is one of the toughest and most emotional issues that Israel and Palestinians need to work out for a peace agreement.
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