What It Was Like to Liberate the Old City

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What It Was Like to Liberate the Old City: The Six Day War: fifty years

A third generation Jerusalemite tells of life in Jerusalem and his personal experience liberating the Jewish quarter during the opening days of the war.

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Gideon Biger was an officer in Battalion 163 of the Jerusalem Brigade in the 6-Day War, which liberated the suburb of Abu-Tor and were the first to enter the Jewish Quarter of the Old City, via the Dung Gate. Prof. Biger was born in Jerusalem in 1945, served in the Israel Defence Force (IDF) 1963-1971, Israeli Air Force (IAF) 1966-1969, and later in the Education Unit, as a Major. He received his Ph.D. in Historical Geography from the Hebrew University, 1979, and from 1980 taught at Tel Aviv University.

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Ali May 26, 2017

My Jerusalem I appreciate everything you said but we have to remember we did not win Hashem did. My first fiancé fell in that battle. He died on kiddush Hashem. It is the one above who gives us the right to live here. This is the land Hashem gave us. Not the Brits or the UN or the US. But G-d gave it to us Alizah Hochstead Reply

Rita Forbes MD May 23, 2017

I highly appreciate Professor Biger's lecture on the Liberation of the Old City. It gave me a clear and concise understanding of the rudiments of the 1967 6-Day War (Jordan, Egypt, Syria) and it's effects on the division of Jerusalem after the war and what Jerusalem was like before the war as well as the relationship of the Israelis and the Arabs, and how Britain fit into the schematics of Israel. There are two questions that I would like a little clarity on, but I will ask only one because of the sensitivity of the Temple Mount: The issue concerning the "Peace Accords" does it date back to the resolution of the 6-Day War and the acceptance of Jerusalem as an international recognized Jewish State? Thank You. Reply

The Six Day War: fifty years