Credit:
Israel-lightontonations
Tonight begins Yom Yerushalayim --
Jerusalem Day.
The day is
celebrated according to the Hebrew date of the liberation by Israeli troops
of eastern (historic Jewish) Jerusalem, in 1967.
“Har Habayit b’yadenu!
Ani chozer: Har Habayit b’yadenu! The Temple Mount is in our hands! I
repeat, the Temple Mount is in our hands!”
So declared Gen. Motta Gur
when he and the paratroopers he commanded reached the Mount.
You can hear an historic recording
of this event, which includes prayers by Rabbi Shlomo Goren, and see a
translated transcript here:
In the 3,000 years since King
David first made Jerusalem his capital, the city had been divided only once:
during the 19 years that Jordan controlled eastern Jerusalem following the War
of Independence.
When Israel liberated that
part of the city, on the third day of the Six Day War, Jerusalem was reunited --
never, ever to be divided again.
The myth is that "east" Jerusalem
is "Arab." But this only appeared to be the case because Jordan
rendered it Judenrein -- not only banishing all Jews, but destroying synagogues
and desecrating cemeteries. The reality is that the very heart
of ancient Jewish heritage is in the eastern part of the
city.
~~~~~~~~~~
Today, almost half of the
population of eastern Jerusalem -- more than 225,00 people -- is Jewish.
Any notion of being able to divide the city -- with western Jerusalem
for the Jews, and eastern Jerusalem for the Arabs, is pure
nonsense.
In fact, the notion that the
Palestinian Arabs have a legitimate claim to any part of Jerusalem is equally
nonsense. And let it be clearly understood: They say they want the
eastern part of the city for their capital. But a serious analysis of
statements made by the Palestinian Authority makes it clear that they intend to
have all of the city.
We made a grievous error, in
turning over the daily administration of the Temple Mount to the Muslim Wakf
after we had liberated it. Let there be no more mistakes.
To surrender the very heart of
Jewish heritage would be to seriously weaken our national resolve, and
to rob us of our deepest purpose. And don't imagine the Arabs are
not aware of this.
Under no circumstances may
Jerusalem be divided.
~~~~~~~~~~
Any so-called Jewish leader or
thinker or writer, whether here in Israel or outside, who proposes such a
division -- imagining it to be somehow necessary either in the interests of
"peace" or to satisfy international demands -- does a serious disservice to Am
Yisrael and the State of Israel. Such a move would serve only to weaken
the Jewish people and to subvert the cause of true peace.
~~~~~~~~~~
Almost immediately after the city was reunited, a law
was passed for the protection of holy places; it
reads:
"The Holy Places
shall be protected from desecration and any other violation and from anything
likely to violate the freedom of access of the members of the different
religions to the places sacred to them or their feelings with regard to those
places..."
It must be noted that
only under Israeli sovereignty will Christian holy places in Jerusalem be
guarded.
In July 1980, the Knesset passed the
Jerusalem Law, declaring, "Jerusalem, complete and united, is the capital of
Israel." Eastern Jerusalem is indivisibly part of the capital.
~~~~~~~~~~
If you have never visited Jerusalem, I
urge you to do so. There is no way to truly value her in your heart
without knowing her. When you come, be sure to take a tour of the ancient Jewish
sites in eastern Jerusalem.
Of course, the Kotel, and the tunnel
adjacent, and the nearby archeological gardens. And go up on the Mount -- an
important thing to do -- with a guide.
Not to be missed, as well, is Ir
David -- the City of David, outside the city walls. This is the original ancient
city, and archeologists regularly uncover new evidence of life
there:
But it doesn't end with
these sites. A guide can show you old Jewish neighborhoods, and much
more. See www.keepjerusalem.org
.
~~~~~~~~~~
Im eshkachech:
If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my
right hand lose its cunning; let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth, if I
do not set Jerusalem above my greatest joy.
From Psalm
137.
I offer here in closing what I still
think is the best of the videos offering the song Im Eshkachech. A few
years old, it remains very moving.
~~~~~~~~~~
©
Arlene Kushner. This material is produced by Arlene Kushner,
functioning as an independent journalist. Permission is granted for it to be
reproduced only
with
proper attribution.
This material
is transmitted by Arlene only to persons who have requested it or agreed to
receive it. If you are on the list and wish to be removed, contact Arlene and
include your name in the text of the message.
1 comment:
Worthwhile taking a look at this great short video that explains why Jerusalem cannot and should not be divided. http://youtu.be/98DMPOC-dUQ
Post a Comment