Residents of Jerusalem, joined by thousands of Israelis from all over the country and tourists from abroad, today marked the 16th anniversary of the reunification of the city. The city was bedecked with flags, amid a festive atmosphere mixed with memorial services and observances in memory of those who fell in the liberation of the city in 1967.
President Chaim Herzog, in one of his first appearances since becoming the head of state, expressed the hope that the unification of the city would herald and symbolize the unity of the Jewish people inside Israel and throughout the world.
The central memorial service in the city was held at Ammunition Hill, scene of some of the fiercest fighting in 1967 which led to the taking of the entire eastern quarters of the city and the Old City itself within the ancient walls.
In the Gush Etzion bloc of four Jewish villages overrun by the Arab Legion 35 years ago, a memorial was dedicated to the 240 Jewish soldiers and civilians killed when the group of villages was captured. A small group of members of the Faithful of the Temple Mount held a licensed prayer meeting near the gate leading to the Temple Mount area. There were no incidents.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
