Video of Israelis celebrating ‘Jerusalem Day’ at the Western wall is shared with a false narrative - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
May 17, 2021
A video is being shared on social media claiming it as visuals of Israelis celebrating the attack on Al-Aqsa Mosque in the old city, Jerusalem. This post claims that hundreds of Israelis had gathered at the Western wall and rejoiced the sight of blazing fires inside the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. In the wake of the recent violent conflict between Israel and Palestine, this post is being shared on social media. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video of Israelis celebrating the attack on the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.
Fact: The video actually shows Jews celebrating the ‘Jerusalem day’ at the Western wall in Jerusalem. A tree outside the Al-Aqsa Mosque was set ablaze while Israelis were celebrating ‘Jerusalem Day’ eve this year on 10 May 2021. During the annual ‘Jerusalem day’ celebrations, hundreds of Israelis would gather and celebrate the occasion by dancing to the live music at the Western Wall. This incident during the ‘Jerusalem Day’ celebrations is purely coincidental. Hence, the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
On reverse image search of the screenshots in the video, a video with similar visuals is found in an article published by ‘The Jerusalem Post’ on 11 May 2021. This article reported that hundreds of Israelis had gathered at the Western Wall to celebrate ‘Jerusalem Day’ on 10 May 2021. According to this article, a tree inside the Al-Aqsa Mosque had caught fire while the Israeli nationals were celebrating ‘Jerusalem Day’ at the Western wall in Jerusalem. UAE-based ‘The National’ news website had published a video reporting the blaze of fire that erupted on a tree outside the Al-Aqsa Mosque o 10 May 2021. ‘The National’ news website had reported that a tree outside the Al-Aqsa Mosque was set ablaze accidentally by Palestinian protestors, while Jewish worshippers were celebrating the eve of ‘Jerusalem Day’.
The Diplomatic correspondent and Senior Contributing Editor of ‘The Jerusalem Post’ news website, Lahav Harkov had reported the same through a tweet on 10 May 2021. Reporting the details of this incident, ‘The Times of Israel’ news website had published an article on 11 May 2021. The Israel Police had informed media that a tree on the Temple Mount (Israelis call the Al-Aqsa Mosque site as Temple Mount) was caught in fire after the Palestinian protestors had started firing explosives and firecrackers on Israel police forces. A few other articles contradicted the Israeli police officer’s statement and reported that trees inside the Al-Aqsa Mosque were set to fire by the stun grenades fired by the Israeli police. The burning visuals of trees inside the Al-Aqsa Mosque can be seen here and here.
Jewish worshippers celebrate ‘Jerusalem Day’ eve every year with live music and dancing at the Western Wall. Multiple old videos showing the annual ‘Jerusalem Day’ celebrations earlier years at the western wall can be seen here and here.
‘Jerusalem Day’ is meant to commemorate Israel’s capture of east Jerusalem in the 1967 Mideast war. But the annual event is widely perceived as provocative, as hardline nationalist Israelis, guarded by police, march through the Damascus Gate of the Old City and through the Muslim Quarter to the Western Wall. According to an article published by the ‘AP News’,  ‘Jerusalem Day’ march was reportedly postponed this year, as it coincides with the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. The clashes between Israeli police Forces and Palestinian protestors at the Al-Aqsa Mosque on ‘Jerusalem Day’ are purely coincidental.
To sum it up, video of Israelis celebrating the ‘Jerusalem Day’ at the Western wall in Jerusalem is shared with a false narrative.