Israel Police officials are trying to keep the parade route for Tuesday morning’s Um el-Fahm Israel flag parade a secret, calling on parade participants not to publicize the route to avoid counter protests and violence from left-wing Israelis and Israeli Arabs.

Some 3,000 policemen are assigned to protect the 100 participants and many have taken up position in the Nachal I’ron (Wadi Ara) area during the predawn hours. Troops include elite commando forces.

Heading the parade will be right-wing activists Baruch Marzel, Itamar Ben-Gavir and MK (Ichud HaLeumi) Dr. Michael Ben-Ari.

The event is scheduled to get underway at 9:00am, and left-wing Meretz protestors plan to take up position at 8:30am. Police hope to avoid clashes, explaining the entire event should end by 11:00am.

Marchers will meet at a prearranged location; they will be checked for weapons, and then board armor-plated police buses, which will take them to the Um el-Fahm parade route.

Police intelligence officials are concerned over some ominous reports, even the possibility that gunfire may be used to halt the controversial event.

The organizers insist this is a litmus test regarding Israel’s control over Arab areas, as well as a sad testimony of the lack of loyalty and anti-Israel sentiment exhibited by the Arab citizens of the nation. Marzel repeatedly points out that while some view the act as a provocation, all that is being done is that a number of marchers are waving the national flag, nothing more.

Arab MKs and Um el-Fahm municipality leaders have vowed to prevent “the extremists” and “fascists” from entering their community, calling on Israelis to take up position with them to prevent the “provocative act”. A general strike has been declared in the municipality and all residents are called upon to come to assist in preventing the march. (Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)