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Yom Yerushalayim

Harel13

Am Yisrael Chai
Staff member
Premium Member
I meant to post this yesterday but eventually forgot.

Tomorrow (Friday) is the 53rd Yom Yerushalayim (Jerusalem Day), commemorating the freeing of Jerusalem from Jordanian control during the Six Day War and the general victory in the war against Egypt, Jordan and Syria, in 1967.

Yesterday (Wednesday), the 26th of Iyar, was the day the war broke out with the ingenious Operation Focus.

During the Operation, Israel sent nearly all of its fighter jets down to Egyptian air fields and bombed them with, among other things, a new Israeli invention called "Anti-runway penetration bombs". During the first wave, IAF jets managed to wipe out around 200 Egyptian crafts, about half of the EAF and lost only 8 planes, the Egyptians being caught completely by surprise. During the second wave, the rest of the EAF was put out of commission. A few hours later, wave 3 set out to do the same to the Jordanian air-force. The next day, wave 4 attacked the Iraqi air-force. Thus, right from the start of the war, Israel had the upper hand in terms of air power.

Meanwhile, ground forces stormed Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, Sinai and the Golan. The battles were brutal, but the results were stupendously in favor of Israel.

One of the most famous battles was the one at Ammunition Hill in the outskirts of Jerusalem, between Jordanian soldiers and Israeli paratroopers, in the morning of the second day. Many fell during that early-morning battle, but in the end, the Jordanians were beaten.

The battle was made famous in particular because of a song that was written about it. Here's the song with a translation of the words:

At first, the Israeli unity-government didn't want to capture the Old City of Jerusalem, preferring to stick to the old status-quo with the Jordanians. However, eventually, they realized that this was a golden opportunity, and so sent paratrooper, infantry and tank forces to storm the city.
In the video, Colonel Moteh Gur, then commander of the paratrooper's reservist Battalion 55 and later Chief of Staff of the IDF, announces into the communications network (0:42): "The Temple Mount is in our hands, over, the Temple Mount is in our hands!"
Rephael Amir, a field reporter, says on-air, live (0:55-1:11): "I am descending at this moment, at this moment I am going down the stairs towards the Western Wall. I am not a religious person, and never was I one, but, this is the Western Wall, and I am touching the stones of the Western Wall!"
In the background, paratroopers and other soldiers can be heard singing "Shehechayanu v'kiyemanu" (who has granted us life and enabled us to reach this occasion) and then repeating the actual blessing.
At (1:18-1:24), IDF Chief Rabbi Shlomo Goren, who had rushed there as soon as possible, says the "Menachem Tzion u'voneh Yerushalayim" blessing (who has comforted Zion and builds Jerusalem).
Next, the soldiers begin singing the then-new song, "Yerushalayim shel zahav" (Jerusalem of gold) by Naomi Shemer, first introduced only weeks prior to the war.

The battles continued after that.

One anecdote: Rabbi Goren heard that the rest of the Jewish holy sites were going to be freed, so he rushed from Jerusalem to join the troops advancing on the city of Hebron. Rabbi Goren had lived as a child in Hebron until all the Jews of Hebron were brutally kicked out during the 1929 Palestine Riots. Little did Rabbi Goren and his driver knew, that they had passed the soldiers and had arrived in Hebron early. The streets were quiet. Rabbi Goren, as a native of the city, knew how to direct his driver all the way down to the Machpela Cave. Upon arrival, they discovered that all of the city's leadership had locked themselves in the Cave. Rabbi Goren was undeterred. He had a tank brought down before the Cave and warned the leadership that if they didn't surrender, he'd blow up the entrance to the Cave with tank fire.
Naturally, the leadership surrendered. At the time, it was custom that during official surrenders, the highest-ranking figures from both sides would sign the surrender document. Rabbi Goren, however, recognized the Hebron mayor - it was none other than the leader of Hebron Riots of 1929, a man who had brutally murdered many local Jews. Rabbi Goren wouldn't let such a man have a honorable surrender, so he brought the lowest-ranking soldier in the vicinity, a guy who had been drafted just a short while prior, to accept the surrender document.

A general ceasefire was announced on June 11th.

Then-IDF Chief of Staff Yitzchak Rabin said after the war:
"Our airmen, who struck the enemies' planes so accurately that no one in the world understands how it was done and people seek technological explanations or secret weapons; our armoured troops who beat the enemy even when their equipment was inferior to his; our soldiers in all other branches … who overcame our enemies everywhere, despite the latter's superior numbers and fortifications—all these revealed not only coolness and courage in the battle but … an understanding that only their personal stand against the greatest dangers would achieve victory for their country and for their families, and that if victory was not theirs the alternative was annihilation."​
 

Jayhawker Soule

-- untitled --
Premium Member
From The Times of Israel ...

Jerusalem Day march to be replaced with 700-person chain around Old City

Under coronavirus restrictions, annual parade celebrating full Israeli control over capital will not pass through Muslim Quarter; 450 people to attend ceremony at Western Wall

Police and organizers came to an agreement Wednesday on holding a smaller, more coronavirus-friendly Jerusalem Day march on Thursday, to mark the anniversary of Israel taking control of the Temple Mount compound and the eastern parts of the city during the 1967 Six Day War.

The day is usually marked by a right-wing march through the Old City’s Muslim Quarter ending at the Western Wall, and has in the past been blamed for increased tensions between Jews and Arabs.​

Sadly, Yom Yerushalayim has become, for far too many, a tribute to the occupation, and I've always viewed this march as a cruel, vulgar obscenity.
 

Jedster

Well-Known Member
At the time I was in Israel and met with many of the fighters, Israeli & captured Jordanians, all were extremely brave and respected one another.
Unfortunately many Jews are embarrassed by this military victory. I have been harassed (by Jews)on a couple of forums for wanting to celebrate this day and usually keep out of the subject.
I hope you don't get too much flack for posting this.

Kol hakavod lecha ve Zahal.
 

Harel13

Am Yisrael Chai
Staff member
Premium Member
Another anecdote:
When the IDF arrived freed Jerusalem, at base of the Temple Mount there was an Arab neighborhood called the Mughrabi Neighborhood which was abandoned by its populace after the Jordanians promised them that they would be able to return post-war.
After the war, which ended a short time before Chag Hashavuot (Festival of Weeks), the government and the IDF command realized that many Jews would flock to Jerusalem for the Chag and space around the Western Wall was needed. A young officer in the IDF Combat Engineering Corps was sent to clear a little space. Originally told to clear the outhouses that the Arabs had build adjacent to the Wall, he decided to think outside of the box, figuring that much more space was needed, and destroyed a much larger chunk of the neighborhood. He was commended for this. Eventually, the rest of the neighborhood was torn down. Thanks to the bright, young officer, there's plenty of room now around the Western Wall.
 

Harel13

Am Yisrael Chai
Staff member
Premium Member
At the time I was in Israel and met with many of the fighters, Israeli & captured Jordanians, all were extremely brave and respected one another.
Unfortunately many Jews are embarrassed by this military victory. I have been harassed (by Jews)on a couple of forums for wanting to celebrate this day and usually keep out of the subject.
I hope you don't get too much flack for posting this.

Kol hakavod lecha ve Zahal.
As I'm sure you know, we in Israel deal with this flack and other ramifications on a day-to-day basis. Just have to toughen up and hold out in the long run.
 

Jedster

Well-Known Member
As I'm sure you know, we in Israel deal with this flack and other ramifications on a day-to-day basis. Just have to toughen up and hold out in the long run.

I was one of the first group into the 'old city' and went to the old Hadassah Hospital on Mount Scopus where, strangely enough, I ended up living several years later.

Anyway,I hope all is well there.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

Harel13

Am Yisrael Chai
Staff member
Premium Member
I was one of the first group into the 'old city' and went to the old Hadassah Hospital on Mount Scopus where, strangely enough, I ended up living several years later.
Wow! Must've been an amazing time to be living in Israel.
 

Jedster

Well-Known Member
Wow! Must've been an amazing time to be living in Israel.

Indeed it was, and I must say the relations with Arabs living in Judea and Samaria were much much better than these days.
Travel to and from Judea, Samaria & Gaza was open was completely open to everyone, and many good relatioships were formed between Israelis & Arabs.
I hope this can one day be restored.
 

Jedster

Well-Known Member
Well, someone has to be optimistic.

AlI I can say is that nothing is ever completely dark, there is always at least a spot of light.
This may sound corny, but it is true.
 

Harel13

Am Yisrael Chai
Staff member
Premium Member
Here's a war story I read today:

Lieutenant Dr. Shmuel Segal performed open-heart surgery inside a jeep under fire, and even fired back at the enemy part of the time. For this act of courage, he was awarded the Southern Head of Regional Command Commendation (צל"ש אלוף פיקוד דרום Tzalash Aluf Pikud Darom).
 

Good-Ole-Rebel

Well-Known Member
I have a question. I'ts my understanding I am allowed to ask a respectful question, though I am not part of Judaism. I hope it is taken that way.

I have enjoyed the many exploits given here of the Israeli's during that 6 day war. And, without doubt great bravery and courage was needed and given that week.

Yet, I hear nothing of God. Do you, the Jews, believe God was behind this great victory?

Good-Ole-Rebel
 

Harel13

Am Yisrael Chai
Staff member
Premium Member
Yet, I hear nothing of God. Do you, the Jews, believe God was behind this great victory?
Definitely. Well, I can't speak for everyone. The hardcore atheist Jews probably disagree, but everyone that I've heard talk about the time describes the feeling of impending doom that was in Israel in the months leading up to the war - then, everything turned 180 degrees. A giant miracle. And many people, even secular people, felt the hand of God at the time - I've heard many such stories. The euphoria and the recognition of God was massive.

However, preachy, "God did this, God did that, God is everywhere"-type threads aren't my style, in particular here on RF where there are both Jews from multiple denominations and many people of other religions and, of course, many atheists.

When I tell these stories to my friends - all pro-Israel religious Jews - we're all well aware that this is the hand of God, that we don't even need to say it. We'll still say it sometimes, but it's not really needed. So that's how I presented the thread.

Also, I guess you missed it, but I did mention that two blessings were said when the paratroopers arrived at the Western Wall. And the field reporter is quoted saying: "I'm not a religious man, but etc" - you may not understand Hebrew, but believe me - one can hear it in his voice that he felt something from above.
 

Good-Ole-Rebel

Well-Known Member
Definitely. Well, I can't speak for everyone. The hardcore atheist Jews probably disagree, but everyone that I've heard talk about the time describes the feeling of impending doom that was in Israel in the months leading up to the war - then, everything turned 180 degrees. A giant miracle. And many people, even secular people, felt the hand of God at the time - I've heard many such stories. The euphoria and the recognition of God was massive.

However, preachy, "God did this, God did that, God is everywhere"-type threads aren't my style, in particular here on RF where there are both Jews from multiple denominations and many people of other religions and, of course, many atheists.

When I tell these stories to my friends - all pro-Israel religious Jews - we're all well aware that this is the hand of God, that we don't even need to say it. We'll still say it sometimes, but it's not really needed. So that's how I presented the thread.

Also, I guess you missed it, but I did mention that two blessings were said when the paratroopers arrived at the Western Wall. And the field reporter is quoted saying: "I'm not a religious man, but etc" - you may not understand Hebrew, but believe me - one can hear it in his voice that he felt something from above.

That is good. That is good news to me. Praise God.

Good-Ole-Rebel
 

Jake1001

Computer Simulator
I meant to post this yesterday but eventually forgot.

Tomorrow (Friday) is the 53rd Yom Yerushalayim (Jerusalem Day), commemorating the freeing of Jerusalem from Jordanian control during the Six Day War and the general victory in the war against Egypt, Jordan and Syria, in 1967.

Yesterday (Wednesday), the 26th of Iyar, was the day the war broke out with the ingenious Operation Focus.

During the Operation, Israel sent nearly all of its fighter jets down to Egyptian air fields and bombed them with, among other things, a new Israeli invention called "Anti-runway penetration bombs". During the first wave, IAF jets managed to wipe out around 200 Egyptian crafts, about half of the EAF and lost only 8 planes, the Egyptians being caught completely by surprise. During the second wave, the rest of the EAF was put out of commission. A few hours later, wave 3 set out to do the same to the Jordanian air-force. The next day, wave 4 attacked the Iraqi air-force. Thus, right from the start of the war, Israel had the upper hand in terms of air power.

Meanwhile, ground forces stormed Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, Sinai and the Golan. The battles were brutal, but the results were stupendously in favor of Israel.

One of the most famous battles was the one at Ammunition Hill in the outskirts of Jerusalem, between Jordanian soldiers and Israeli paratroopers, in the morning of the second day. Many fell during that early-morning battle, but in the end, the Jordanians were beaten.

The battle was made famous in particular because of a song that was written about it. Here's the song with a translation of the words:

At first, the Israeli unity-government didn't want to capture the Old City of Jerusalem, preferring to stick to the old status-quo with the Jordanians. However, eventually, they realized that this was a golden opportunity, and so sent paratrooper, infantry and tank forces to storm the city.
In the video, Colonel Moteh Gur, then commander of the paratrooper's reservist Battalion 55 and later Chief of Staff of the IDF, announces into the communications network (0:42): "The Temple Mount is in our hands, over, the Temple Mount is in our hands!"
Rephael Amir, a field reporter, says on-air, live (0:55-1:11): "I am descending at this moment, at this moment I am going down the stairs towards the Western Wall. I am not a religious person, and never was I one, but, this is the Western Wall, and I am touching the stones of the Western Wall!"
In the background, paratroopers and other soldiers can be heard singing "Shehechayanu v'kiyemanu" (who has granted us life and enabled us to reach this occasion) and then repeating the actual blessing.
At (1:18-1:24), IDF Chief Rabbi Shlomo Goren, who had rushed there as soon as possible, says the "Menachem Tzion u'voneh Yerushalayim" blessing (who has comforted Zion and builds Jerusalem).
Next, the soldiers begin singing the then-new song, "Yerushalayim shel zahav" (Jerusalem of gold) by Naomi Shemer, first introduced only weeks prior to the war.

The battles continued after that.

One anecdote: Rabbi Goren heard that the rest of the Jewish holy sites were going to be freed, so he rushed from Jerusalem to join the troops advancing on the city of Hebron. Rabbi Goren had lived as a child in Hebron until all the Jews of Hebron were brutally kicked out during the 1929 Palestine Riots. Little did Rabbi Goren and his driver knew, that they had passed the soldiers and had arrived in Hebron early. The streets were quiet. Rabbi Goren, as a native of the city, knew how to direct his driver all the way down to the Machpela Cave. Upon arrival, they discovered that all of the city's leadership had locked themselves in the Cave. Rabbi Goren was undeterred. He had a tank brought down before the Cave and warned the leadership that if they didn't surrender, he'd blow up the entrance to the Cave with tank fire.
Naturally, the leadership surrendered. At the time, it was custom that during official surrenders, the highest-ranking figures from both sides would sign the surrender document. Rabbi Goren, however, recognized the Hebron mayor - it was none other than the leader of Hebron Riots of 1929, a man who had brutally murdered many local Jews. Rabbi Goren wouldn't let such a man have a honorable surrender, so he brought the lowest-ranking soldier in the vicinity, a guy who had been drafted just a short while prior, to accept the surrender document.

A general ceasefire was announced on June 11th.

Then-IDF Chief of Staff Yitzchak Rabin said after the war:
"Our airmen, who struck the enemies' planes so accurately that no one in the world understands how it was done and people seek technological explanations or secret weapons; our armoured troops who beat the enemy even when their equipment was inferior to his; our soldiers in all other branches … who overcame our enemies everywhere, despite the latter's superior numbers and fortifications—all these revealed not only coolness and courage in the battle but … an understanding that only their personal stand against the greatest dangers would achieve victory for their country and for their families, and that if victory was not theirs the alternative was annihilation."​

Good post, Harel, but too long and I’m not sure what your point is ? Is it a history lesson ?
 

Harel13

Am Yisrael Chai
Staff member
Premium Member
I get that, but whats your main point, that Israeli’s are such great fighters?
No, the miraculous victory. Yeah, I was previously told by Good-Ole-Rebel that it wasn't so clear from the post.
See:
I have a question. I'ts my understanding I am allowed to ask a respectful question, though I am not part of Judaism. I hope it is taken that way.

I have enjoyed the many exploits given here of the Israeli's during that 6 day war. And, without doubt great bravery and courage was needed and given that week.

Yet, I hear nothing of God. Do you, the Jews, believe God was behind this great victory?

Good-Ole-Rebel

Definitely. Well, I can't speak for everyone. The hardcore atheist Jews probably disagree, but everyone that I've heard talk about the time describes the feeling of impending doom that was in Israel in the months leading up to the war - then, everything turned 180 degrees. A giant miracle. And many people, even secular people, felt the hand of God at the time - I've heard many such stories. The euphoria and the recognition of God was massive.

However, preachy, "God did this, God did that, God is everywhere"-type threads aren't my style, in particular here on RF where there are both Jews from multiple denominations and many people of other religions and, of course, many atheists.

When I tell these stories to my friends - all pro-Israel religious Jews - we're all well aware that this is the hand of God, that we don't even need to say it. We'll still say it sometimes, but it's not really needed. So that's how I presented the thread.

Also, I guess you missed it, but I did mention that two blessings were said when the paratroopers arrived at the Western Wall. And the field reporter is quoted saying: "I'm not a religious man, but etc" - you may not understand Hebrew, but believe me - one can hear it in his voice that he felt something from above.

That is good. That is good news to me. Praise God.

Good-Ole-Rebel
 
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