Jerusalem 1957: Divided!
The Kotel – “What a pity it’s not in our hands.”
Letter Excerpts:
“Today I got a real close up view of the Old City. I even saw Arabs looking at us with machine guns and spy glasses.”
— July 27, 1957
“This afternoon mass services are held at Mt. Zion overlooking the Wailing Wall. What a pity it’s not in our hands.”
— August 6, 1957
Bob Jacobs at the Israeli-Jordanian border, 1957. Directly behind him is the Jordanian occupied Old City of Jerusalem. At his left reads a sign: Danger – No Entry!”
Background
In 1957, the Wailing Wall, also known as the Kotel or Western Wall was under Jordanian rule. Ten years earlier in 1947 the UN approved a partition plan that provided for two states — one Jewish, one Arab. Jerusalem was to be an International city with freedom of access to holy sites guaranteed to all religions. But the Arab world rejected the partition plan, and fighting between Jews and Arabs intensified, breaking out into a full-scale war following Israel’s declaration of independence in May of 1948.
Arab fighters from the walls of the Old City of Jerusaelm shooting at the Jews of Western Jerusalem.
Do We Take the Kotel and Jerusalem for Granted?
The battle for Jerusalem in 1948 was fierce. When the smoke cleared, Jerusalem was divided: The western half became part of the new State of Israel. The eastern half, including the Old City, was occupied by Jordan and the Jews of east Jerusalem were expelled. Under Jordanian rule, access to Jewish holy sites, including the Kotel and the ancient Jewish cemetery on the Mount of Olives was denied.
Jewish families expelled from the Old City by Jordan after Jordanian soldiers took control of east Jerusalem, 1948
1967 – Jerusalem United!
As a result of the Six-Day War in 1967, Israel liberated East Jerusalem – the Kotel and Mt. of Olives were now in Jewish hands. Unlike his 1957 visit to Israel, Bob Jacobs’ wish came true in 1968 when he and his wife came to Israel and prayed at the Kotel. With the Temple Mount in Israel’s hands, the long held Jewish dream of building the Third Temple became more of a reality.