Israeli PM defends march marked by violence, racism

By JOSEPH KRAUSS
Associated Press

JERUSALEM (AP) — Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has defended an annual march that celebrated Israel’s takeover of east Jerusalem and was marked by violence and anti-Palestinian racism. Authorities called up thousands of police, forcibly cleared out Palestinians and risked another war with the Islamic militant group Hamas. It was all to ensure that tens of thousands of mostly right-wing Israelis could parade through a dense Palestinian neighborhood on Sunday. The march saw Israeli nationalists chant racist slogans, including “Death to Arabs,” and attack Palestinians and journalists. Bennett said Monday that cancelling or re-routing the march in the face of threats by the militant Hamas group would have undermined Israel’s control over the city.