Israelis Mark Jerusalem's Reunification - 48th year

Israelis Mark Jerusalem's Reunification

Sunday, May 17, 2015 |  Aviel Schneider  ISRAEL TODAY

RELATED STORIES

• Jews attacked for praying on Temple Mount
• 'Intolerable that Jews cannot pray on Temple Mount'
• Israel to Ramp Up Building in Jerusalem

Topics:

Jerusalem

Israel today celebrated the 48th anniversary of the reunification of its ancient capital, Jerusalem, during the Six Day War in 1967.

In its more than 3,000-year history, only once has Jerusalem been divided, and that was between 1948–1967, when Jordan ruled its eastern side.

This joyous occasion is marked with a well-attended march through the city, as celebrants wave Israeli flags and dance through the streets of their beloved Jerusalem. At the Western Wall, thousands showed up to thank the Almighty for His grace in again returning Jerusalem to the Jewish nation, and the Jewish nation to Jerusalem.

Meanwhile, the Palestinian Authority and the Muslim world at large continue to vow that they will not rest until Jerusalem is “liberated” from the Zionists. Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas has repeatedly stated that Jerusalem belongs to Islam, and that the Jews have no right to it. Despite such belligerent rhetoric, Pope Francis on Saturday received Abbas at the Vatican and labeled the Palestinian leader an “angel of peace.”

Among Israeli politicians, Jerusalem is one of the few topics on which they can agree, with lawmakers from left-to-right adamant that the city will never again be divided. Indeed, no Israeli government could possibly survive surrendering the Temple Mount.

As such, the international community has a fundamental problem, because a two-state solution is no longer realistic. For virtually all of Israel, Jerusalem is not up for negotiation, while the Palestinians won’t sign a deal that doesn’t include control of the city’s eastern half. How can such a “peace process” ever hope to succeed?

Want more news from Israel?
Click Here to sign up for our FREE daily email updates from ISRAEL TODAY.