Prime Minister Naftali Bennett defended the decision to hold an annual march commemorating Israel's takeover of East Jerusalem, marked by violence and anti-Palestinian racism, AP reports.

Authorities deployed thousands of police officers and forcibly ejected Palestinians to ensure that tens of thousands of mostly right-wing Israelis could pass through the densely populated Palestinian area and visit the controversial holy site.

In 2021, Israel changed the route at the last minute, at a time of soaring tensions over violence at the sacred site and settler attempts to evict dozens of Palestinian families from their homes in east Jerusalem.

This year, Israel avoided that scenario and allowed the parade to follow the traditional route through the heart of the Old City's Muslim Quarter.