JERUSALEM (VINnews) — Tens of thousands of Israelis took part Thursday in the annual Jerusalem Day Flag March marking the 59th anniversary of the reunification of Jerusalem, as police deployed large security forces and closed major roads across the capital.

Government ministers, Knesset members, rabbis and public figures joined marchers carrying Israeli flags through central Jerusalem and toward the Old City.

Ahead of the event, several prominent Religious Zionist rabbis issued a public appeal urging participants to act responsibly and avoid confrontations.

“Our great strength lies in our steadfast spirit and devotion to the Torah,” the rabbis wrote, calling on celebrants not to be drawn into provocations that could overshadow the day.

Among the signatories were Yaakov Shapira, Yaakov Ariel and Eliezer Igra.

Police shut down numerous roads throughout Jerusalem as crowds moved through the city, including major streets in the downtown area and routes surrounding the Old City.

Authorities said roads would gradually reopen as the march continued.

Jerusalem Day commemorates Israel’s capture of eastern Jerusalem, including the Old City, during the 1967 Middle East war. The annual march has at times been a source of tension between Israelis and Palestinians, particularly in and around the Muslim Quarter of the Old City.