Today, May 24, is Jerusalem Day. Jerusalem has been reunified under Israeli sovereignty for 50 years now, since the Six-Day war of 1967. Not only did the IDF defeat the Jordanian forces, the so-called Arab League with British officers and training, but this was a reunification not a conquest. Jerusalem had been unified under the Turks and the British, but the Eastern half was illegally occupied by the Jordanians after the Israel War of Independence in 1948 for 19 years (1948-67). This occupation was relatively short and the occupation by Jordan was not recognized by the UN, the US and even the other Arab countries.
Because Eastern Jerusalem was annexed by Israel the Arab occupants were given a special status, they were given Israeli id cards, but not forced to accept Israeli citizenship. That was optional, and many thousands of them have opted to become Israeli citizens in the intervening years. The East Jerusalemites who are basically Palestinians have a different status from the other residents of the West Bank, who are citizens of the Palestine Authority.
Jerusalem is the keystone of the Jewish State, Israel without it is inconceivable. Those who covet it had best accept that we will never give it up under any circumstances and we will never agree to divide it again. It would be best if the world accepted this as fact. The recent highly significant visit of US Pres. Trump to Israel and Jerusalem emphasizes the strong and indissoluble bonds between Israel and the USA, that survived 8 years of a truly hostile American Administration.
Above all else Jerusalem is a great city. I have visited many major cities around the world and known some very well, London, New York, Washington, Paris, Rome, Tokyo, Moscow, Berlin, Stockholm and so on. But, I can say without hesitation that Jerusalem is the most fascinating and incredible city in the world, one that no serious traveler can afford to miss in a life time.
IsBlog 
Thank you for a beautiful piece with which I wholly agree.
I, however, would want to point out some terminology I do not accept: “West Bank” is a term used by Jordan. For them all Israel is the west bank of the Jordan River. For us the area is Judea and Samaria. The other is: “Palestinian.” They are not Palestinians, they are Hashemite Arabs, part of the tribe that now form Jordan. We should encourage family unification and help them cross the Jordan River and settle there with their tribe.
There was much historical injustice done by our own leaders.
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Livia: Thank you for your response. However, I have to politely disagree with you. The term “West Bank” may have been invented by the Jordanians, but is in widespread use by the media as a convenient term for the area in question. To me it implies no decision on sovereignty, short of negotiations.
Also, the majority of the population of Jordan are “West” Palestinians, who moved there as refugees during the wars and constitute ca. 70% of the population. They are NOT Hashemite Arabs (Beduin), but in fact many can trace their ancestry to the original Jewish inhabitants of the area who were forcibly converted to Christianity and then Islam. Warm regards, Jack
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