Is Temple Mount In Our Hands?
I had one of those rak-ba’aretz (only-in-Israel) moments this morning, Yom Yerushalaim (Jerusalem Day), as a friend wound down his car window (if such an expression still exists?) outside the local school, as we both dropped off our kids. He had a thought-for-the-day, which he shouted through the window to share with me, and which I share with you. The famous historical announcement in 1967, that “Temple Mount is in our hands!” – contains both the excitement and miraculous glory of the Israeli victory in the 6 Day War – and the jaundiced skepticism born of 20-20 foresight. Yes, Israeli troops successfully reunited Jerusalem under Jewish sovereignty, for the first time in two millennia – in a victory which had military historians gasping, and unsuccessfully seeking precedents. Six days; Jordan, Egypt and Syria’s armies were crushingly defeated. Only the Bible provided precedent. God was clearly fighting for Israel. But within hours of the Israeli victory, the Temple Mount it...