Jerusalem Celebrates 48 Years of Being an Undivided Capital

On Jerusalem Day, synagogues were full of people thanking God for the miracles of the Six Day War. And "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." –Aviel Schneider

 

(Israel)—On Sunday, Israel celebrated 48 years since the reunification of Jerusalem during 1967's Six Day War. The day was declared a religious holiday by the Chief Rabbinate in recognition of the miracles that took place during the war. 

In 1948, the Jordanians conquered the eastern part of Jerusalem, including its Old City, forcibly expelling its Jewish residents. For the next 19 years, Jews were denied access to the Western Wall (Kotel), one of the Jewish nation's most holy prayer sites. The Jordanians destroyed 48 of the 49 historic synagogues within the Old City and desecrated ancient graves located on the Mount of Olives by using them as latrines.
In 1967, Israeli paratroopers liberated the eastern half of the city, making their way to the Kotel at the base of the Temple Mount. Their experiences have inspired song and literature, and a photograph of forces standing at the Wall, taken mere hours later, is one of the city's most famous images.
The success of Israeli forces during the Six Day War can only be attributed to the help of God. Among the miracles which took place during the brief conflict, an IDF ammunition truck, parked outside a building in Jerusalem overnight, was hit by an enemy shell. Had the shell exploded, the loaded truck would have, too, taking out the buildings in the surrounding area and killing all the Jewish residents. Miraculously, the shell neglected to explode.
In an effort to maintain a stable status quo, the Israeli government decided to hand over control of several religious sites, including the Temple Mount, where the First and Second Temples once stood, to the control of the Muslim Waqf (religious authority). This has caused no end of tensions, as Jewish access to the nation's holiest site is severely restricted.