Jerusalem Day

By Ethel C. Fenig

Forty years ago this week (on the Jewish lunar calendar - June 5 on the Gregorian calendar) Arab armies massed, vowing to "drive Israel into the sea." Miraculously they didn't succeed, although their hatred still burns undiminished, their evil goal not forgotten.

In the course of the 1967 Six Day War war, Israel regained control of the historic and religious areas of Jerusalem which were then under Jordanian control. Jordan, defying the terms of the 1948 Armistice, had denied Jews access to these neighborhoods, expelled the Jewish inhabitants, allowed a hotel to be built on top of a Jewish cemetery while using the headstones as paving stones, and desecrated other religious sites. Except for the Israelis, no one complained.

After the reunification of Jerusalem under Israeli control, which respects the rights and sites of all religions, the entire world complained. Immediately after the reunification of Jerusalem the UN, the Europeans, the Vatican all issued calls for the city's internationalization.

Today Israel celebrates the 40th anniversary of the reunited city, although most countries, including the United States, avoided the festivities.

The United States will avoid Jerusalem Reunification Day festivities this week despite a 12-year-old Congressional bill calling for the American embassy to be located in the capital. Since then, every President has exercised a waiver in the bill allowing the move to be deferred for a renewable period of six months.

Participate and celebrate if you wish.