Jerusalem Day, it was today, observing the day the two halves of Jerusalem were brought together, Israel having conquered the Arab half.
And, as I read about Jerusalem Day, I was stunned at the forgiving spirit found in the words read by Moshe Dayan back in 1967, at the conclusion of the Six-Day War, as Israel assumed control of all the city. It seems a conqueror would say, "You are defeated. Now leave. Leave, or we will pick up your bags for you and set them in your own Arab country."
Not so, though. Instead, we find these words uttered by Israel Defense Minister Moshe Dayan, often quoted to this day during Yom Yerushalayim, speaking of the conquered foe as "neighbors" and "fellow citizens":
"This morning, the Israel Defense Forces liberated Jerusalem. We have united Jerusalem, the divided capital of Israel. We have returned the holiest of our holy places, never to part from it again. To our Arab neighbors we extend, also at this hour -- and with added emphasis at this hour -- our hand in peace. And to our Christian and Muslim fellow citizens, we solemnly promise full religious freedom and rights. We did not come to Jerusalem for the sake of other peoples' holy places, and not to interfere with the adherents of other faiths, but in order to safeguard its entirety, and to live there together with others, in unity."
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