As we prepare to celebrate Yom Yerushalayim this coming Monday, I recall the historic Jewish high when on June 6, 1967, Jerusalem was finally liberated from two thousand years of bondage
That was a long time ago but it was a moment carved in the hearts of every Jew for every generation to come.
I also recall the humiliation of the Jewish people and Jerusalem on that same happy date, last year.
We are all familiar with the painful details
I had a dream.
I dreamt that little Jewish boys and little Jewish girls walked freely once again in the streets of Yerushalayim - not just in continually shrinking areas of relative safety.
I had a dream; that elderly Jewish people know no fear in our holy city. I had a dream that the star of David flies on every part of Yerushalayim without apology or government restriction. I had a dream that the flag of the enemy will never be seen again in our beloved capital.
My dream continued: On flag day this year, many tens of thousands of Israeli flags are held high and march towards the most beautiful of gates, the Shechem gate.
In my dream, just as the throng of celebrants approach the gate, Hamas issues a warning,' One step further and we rain rockets on half of Israel.
The government must decide quickly. They issue their order. Stop!
Turn the flags back to the center of town, as Hamas demands.
The bewildered police officers on the scene issued the order to the large force accompanying the parade.
They form a barricade in front of the column of flags and demand that the Jews retreat.
A moment of silence, wonder, confusion, and then anger.
No! There will be no repeat of the shameful scenario of last year.
The crowd surged forward. The commanders ordered their men to use their batons and pummel the young and old Jews clutching onto the flag as they moved to move forward.
Immediately heads were open, blood flowed; screams and panic.
Horses and water cannons were brought in. The streets were strewn with wounded and crying Jews of all ages.
The throng of Arab onlookers was enjoying the spectacle.
The Jewish flow renewed its advance.
Fresh police forces were called in. and ordered by their senior commander (on instruction from the highest political echelons) not to hold back; to increase their baton charges to "teach those (blank, blank..) a lesson".
Then it happened.
One of the policemen ignored the order to brutalize his fellow Jews. His red-faced officer yelled, threatened, and then shoved him forward. The young policeman pushed his commander back and left the area throwing his baton and helmet on the pavement.
At that moment everything froze.
All eyes turned to the young man walking off the field.
It did not take long before some of his friends followed his example. The commanders huddled in an emergency conference.
The orders were renewed. No mercy! Charge them!
But it was too late, the Jewish flags were now inside Damascus gate.
From inside and out of the old city rushed throngs of Arabs holding Hamas and PLO flags yelling ``slaughter the Jews"! and "Palestine will be redeemed in Jewish blood'!
Stones, iron bars, and fireworks came down on the Jews; police, and civilians.
The commanders ordered not to engage the Arabs but to absorb their blows.
The Arabs then produced guns with which they began to shoot into the Jewish crowd.
The police retreated as ordered, hiding behind their riot shields.
Jewish blood from batons, rocks, bars, and bullets flowed
As the wounded were attended to, the Arab onslaught increased.
Not waiting for orders from above, one junior officer rallied his men and led them in a charge against the Arab mob; his rifle was drawn and aimed.
One of the Arabs reached the front of the crowd and blocked the way of the police. He opened his shirt, daring them to shoot. He knew the "rules of engagement" and was eager to taunt the Jewish police in front of his buddies.
Another moment of frozen silence.
One of the policemen drew his baton and smacked the Arab across his knees. As he fell screaming, the Arabs surged forward yelling "death to the Jews".
A shot was heard from the Arab side and then shots were fired from the police into the Arab mob.
Things were happening very quickly in my dream.
All I know is that next, all the Arabs of Jerusalem heard of the "massacre at the gate" and began to flee Jerusalem in a panic, not stopping until they crossed the bridge to Jordan.
Even the government could not stop them at this time.
Little Jewish children and the elderly were safe again in every part of the city
Then I woke up.
Let's see what happens next week.
I am excited to announce a very special tour.
On Monday, June 12 we will have an in-depth and unique tour of Mount Herzl and the military cemetery.
Lying in the soil of this mountain are thousands of precious souls, many of which have special stories to tell. I will try to give a voice to them.
We will proceed to neighboring Yad Vashem for a tour, the kind of which no other group is offered.
We will meet at 10:00 at the entrance to Mount Herzel.
We should end our tour at about 2:00.
100 shekels.
We are limited to 20 participants.
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