Knesset and Congress mark unification of Jerusaelm
Both the Knesset and Congress celebrate 50 years to the unification of the city of Jerusalem, which took place during 1967's Six-Day War.
The Kneset and US Congress marked the unification of the city of Jerusalem on Wednesday, with simultaneous ceremonies.
The joint events are the latest in ceremonies and celebrations commemorating the city's unification, following festivities held in Jerusalem last month.
Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein noted the unique bond between the US and Israel by describing how the pilgrims who settled in what is now America similarly created "a just society that the Hebrew prophets preached right here, thousands and years ago."
Edelstein called upon US President Donald Trump's administration to recognize Jerusalem as the eternal capital of the State of Israel.
US Speaker of the House, Paul Ryan, touched upon the men and women who lost their lives in the fight to unite Jerusalem.
"After thousands of years in exile, the Jewish people are finally back home. Home in the land of their ancestors. Hone in the land that so many have died to defend. And home in their city of Jeursalem, the eternal capital never to be divided again."
The 50th anniversary of the unification of Jerusalem was also celebrated simultaneously in the different United States of America.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also spoke at the Jerusalem ceremony. "What a wonderful celebration of American-Israel friendship," he said before the audience gathered live and online. He also updated his listeners of a recent, billion-dollar deal that hi-tech company Intel had signed in Jerusalem, for smart cars. "And so I can truly say that Jerusalem drives the world."
The two parts of Jerusalem—east and west—were joined together 50 years ago, during the Six-Day War, after IDF troops managed to break through to east Jerusalem. Famous photos of the wawr show then-defense minister Moshe Dayan and IDF chief of staff Yitzhak Rabin walking into the city, or Israeli army soldiers standing in awe in front of the Western Wall.
Earlier in the day, US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley visited the Western Wall herself, as she stated that she will continue to stand up for Israel at the UN, as part of the policy set forth by US President Donald Trump's administration.
