TORONTO – B’nai Brith today issued the following statement to mark Yom Yerushalayim, the 44th anniversary of the reunification of the City of Jerusalem, the ancient and modern-day capital of the Jewish State:
“The Jewish people have had a presence in Jerusalem for centuries”, said Frank Dimant, CEO of B’nai Brith Canada, “but not until 1967 when Israel regained control of its entire capital city were their religious rights safeguarded. We should remember that from 1948-1967 when Jordan had control of Jerusalem, Jews were deprived of their rights, their synagogues were destroyed and desecrated, and they were denied access to their holiest site, the Western Wall.
“Today, we mark the day when Jews, as well as all other religions, were at last able to worship freely in Jerusalem. However, while Israel respects the rights of each religion to its places of worship, the Palestinian leadership continues to deny the legitimacy of Jewish holy sites.
“At a time when demands are being made of Israel to return to pre-1967 borders and divide Jerusalem, it is important to recognize that the holy city of Jerusalem has always been the capital of just one country, Israel, and that the national, historical and religious bonds between Jerusalem and Jews throughout the world are unbreakable.”
