via The National
Thomas Helm Jerusalem. May 15, 2026
Almost 60 years ago, Israeli forces captured East Jerusalem in one of the most dramatic and consequential battles of the latter half of the 20th century. After days of fighting, Israel gained control of historical sites sacred to the billions of followers of the Abrahamic faiths.
On June 7, 1967, defence minister Moshe Dayan stood at the Western Wall, shortly after Israel had taken it from Jordanian troops, and declared that the Israeli military had “liberated Jerusalem this morning”.
“We reunited divided Jerusalem, the bisected capital of Israel. We have returned to our holiest places, we have returned in order not to part from them ever again,” he said. In 1980, Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, passed a law that stated “Jerusalem, complete and united, is the capital of Israel”.
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