(Jerusalem Post) Mark Regev - It was the national unity government of Labor Prime Minister Levi Eshkol in May 1968 that first proclaimed the celebration of Jerusalem Day as an Israeli national holiday to mark the anniversary of Jerusalem's unification. Israel's War of Independence ended with Jordan's Arab Legion occupying the Old City and eastern Jerusalem, leaving the city divided down the middle by barbed wire and concrete barriers. In violation of the signed armistice agreement, Jordan did not allow Jews to visit the Western Wall and the other Jewish holy sites in the areas it controlled, some of which were also desecrated. In 1967, Israelis rejoiced in the capture of the Old City, which brought a return to places central to Jewish history and heritage. The Eshkol government's decision to extend Israeli jurisdiction over Jerusalem receiving almost wall-to-wall public support. In July 1980, the Knesset formally codified united Jerusalem's status as Israel's sovereign capital. The writer, formerly an adviser to the prime minister, is the incoming chair of the Abba Eban Institute for International Diplomacy.
2022-05-30 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive