Jerusalem Day
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Jerusalem Day - Yom Yerushalayim (Hebrew: *יום ירושלים - כ"ח באייר) is an annual Israeli national holiday celebrated on Iyar 28.
According to the 1947 UN Partition Plan, Jerusalem was supposed to be an international city, not part of either the proposed Jewish or Arab state. The city was divided between Israeli and Jordanian control during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War and nineteen years later East Jerusalem was captured by Israel as a result of the Six Day War.
Following that victory, on June 27, 1967, the government presented the Knesset with three law proposals. These proposals dealt with the annexation of Jerusalem and sanctioned the application of Israeli law in the entire area of the city. The municipal boundaries of the city were altered and its area was increased threefold: from 38,100 dunams to 110,000 dunams. At the same time a law was adopted that enabled free access to the holy places by the members of every religion.
On May 12 1968 the government decided to make the 28th of Iyar the symbolic holiday, "Jerusalem Day," designed to "symbolize the continued historical connection of the Jewish People to Jerusalem." In 1980, this holiday became anchored in law when the Basic Law: Jerusalem, Capital of Israel was adopted. This law determined that Jerusalem was the capital of Israel and the seat of all government ministries and national agencies. Due to the unresolved status of the city in the Arab-Israeli peace process (see Oslo Accords), and international non-recognition of the annexation, most governments maintain their embassies in Tel Aviv.
On March 23 1998 the Knesset passed the second and third readings of the "Jerusalem Day Law", which reiterated that the date that Jerusalem was "liberated" during the Six Day War was now a national holiday.
Jerusalem Day in the Western Calendar
While Jerusalem Day is always on the 28th day of Iyar in the Jewish calendar, the date in the Western (Gregorian) calendar varies from year to year due to differences between the two calendars.
- 2003: May 30
- 2004: May 19
- 2005: June 6
- 2006: May 26
- 2007: May 16
- 2008: June 2
- 2009: May 22
- 2010: May 12
- 2011: June 1
- 2012: May 20
See also
- Yom Hazikaron La'Shoah - Holocaust remembrance day
- Yom Hazikaron - Memorial Day
- Yom Ha'atzma'ut - Israel Independence Day
- Arab-Israeli conflict
- UN Security Council Resolution 267
- UN Security Council Resolution 478
External link
- Yom Yerushalayim from the Israeli Knesset website (http://www.knesset.gov.il/holidays/eng/jer_intro.htm)