Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed Thursday that all of Jerusalem would always remain under Israeli sovereignty, but hundreds of east Jerusalem Arabs protested the occupation.

Israeli President Shimon Peres (C) and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (L) attend a state ceremony marking Jerusalem Day, which celebrates the conquest of East Jerusalem during the 1967 Six Day War, in east Jerusalem, May 21, 2009. Israel occupied East Jerusalem in the 1967 Mideast War and declared the whole city as its "eternal and undivided capital" in 1980 in a move not recognized by the international community, while the Palestinians want East Jerusalem as the capital of their future state. [Yin Bogu/Xinhua]

"United Jerusalem is Israel's capital. Jerusalem was always ours and will always be ours. It will never again be partitioned and divided," Netanyahu was quoted by local daily Ha'aretz as saying at a state ceremony marking Jerusalem Day, which was held at the Ammunition Hill in east Jerusalem.

The prime minister said he had made the same declaration during his visit to Washington, where he met Monday with US President Barack Obama over the Middle East peace process and Iran's nuclear program.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks at a state ceremony marking the Jerusalem Day, which celebrates the conquest of East Jerusalem during the 1967 Six Day War, in east Jerusalem, May 21, 2009. [Yin Bogu/Xinhua]

Jerusalem Day celebrates the conquest of the city during the 1967 Six Day War, before which Jordan controlled east Jerusalem, while Israel had the western section. Shortly after the war, Israel annexed east Jerusalem.

"Only under Israeli sovereignty will united Jerusalem ensure the freedom of religion and freedom of access for the three religions to the holy places," Netanyahu said, without referring to Palestinian demands to declare east Jerusalem the capital of the state they want to establish.