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Israel Bonds Building
On Six Day War Triumph
SARA STEIN
Special to The Jewish News
T
wenty years after the
miraculous victories
of the Six-Day War, the
Israeli government has
selected 12 veterans to pro-
mote the sales of State of
Israel Bonds in the United
States. All 12 served as
paratroopers in the 1967 bat-
tle for the reunification of
Jerusalem.
Nachshon Israeli, a com-
mander in that battle, was
sent to Detroit last week as
part of Bonds' "Operation
Jerusalem," whose formation
was triggered three months
ago by a Jerusalem reunion of
paratroopers.
A sabra, Israeli was born to
Russian immigrants and
grew up in Kibbutz Degania
Bet. He has fought in the Six-
Day War, the Yom Kippur
War, and the 1982 Lebanon
War.
Israeli served as a platoon
commander of paratroopers in
1967, and calls the Jerusalem
battle unique "because
Jerusalem is unique.
Jerusalem and the Western
Wall are universal symbols of
holiness and have become a
legend for all Jews. We felt
that holiness as we were
fighting for it."
The Reunification of
Jerusalem was also one of the
shortest battles, won in just
two days. "Even 20 years
later," Israeli remarks with a
smile, "I am still suprised at
how quickly the whole fight
was over!'
Before reaching the Old Ci-
ty on June 7, Israeli took part
in the successful battle for the
Nablus Road, Mandelbaum
Gate, and the Nablus Gate.
Israeli remembers with pride
being the first soldier to pass
through the Nablus Gate. He
recalls very little fighting on
that historic day. "It was very
quiet. Only one or two shots
were fired. Everyone rushed
towards the Western Wall!'
Once there, Israeli vividly
recollects standing in the nar-
row alley which separated the
Western Wall from a parallel
wall built by the Arabs. "We
had mixed feelings of excite-
ment because most of us were
still in a state of shock. We
had just seen so many of our
fellow soldiers and friends
killed so quickly right in front
of our eyes. We had to
sacrifice a lot to gain the
Wall!'
However, Israeli does
remember the period of time
Nachshon Israeli:
Remembering "the" war.
following the victory when
soldiers and civilians were in
a sort of "euphoria of a dream
come true!' It was at this time
that Naomi Shemer's song,
"Jerusalem of Gold," became
popular, a song written and
composed weeks before the
war. Shemer, born in Israel's
Kinneret area near Kibbutz
Degania Bet, was a student of
Israeli's parents, both of
whom were teachers.
Israeli warmly relates how,
two weeks before the war
broke out, his father had re-
quested from an Israeli singer
to sing a Hebrew song at a
Kibbutz performance. The
singer, Shuli Natan, sang
"Jerusalem of Gold" for the
first time, its debut initially
reserved for Israel's In-
dependence Day celebration.
"Every time I hear the song
now," Israeli says, "I still get
goosebumps, even twenty
years later!'
Now, two decades later, an
ambitious and determined
Israeli has returned to the ar-
my for one year to serve as a
commander in the reserves.
Israeli intends to donate his
time and energy to the now
"new generation!' who he
sees "as dedicated and compe-
tent as the older generation I
fought with!' He is very im-
pressed with the youth Israel
has produced. "I see them as
determined to preserve peace
as their fathers were to first
obtain it!'
However, Israeli does believe
that it takes a long time to
achieve the peace and securi-
ty needed in the Middle East.
"Zionism is based on time
and effort!" Israeli points out,
"We need to be active and
build more and more —
another kibbutz, another set-
tlement, another city. We can-
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not tire of the effort because
nothing gets accomplished so
quickly. We have to work at
it!" With the current conflict
over an international peace
conference and other issues,
Israeli sees the immediate
problem as finding a resolu-
tion that everyone agrees on.
To Israeli, the Jewish peo-
ple are a "special people!' But
he is also convinced of the
struggle needed to preserve
the uniqueness of Israeli
society. As a commander and
soldier of many years, Israeli
specifically realizes the im-
portance of the soldier's ef-
forts to live in the non-
military society. He em-
phasizes the emotional
upheaval that war creates.
"In a war, not only people
and property are destroyed!"
Israeli says, "We have a com-
mandment, 'Thou shalt not
kill! After killing, it is very
hard to reacclimate oneself to
regular life. One has to make
a big effort not to veer from
normalcy!'
Nachshon Israeli has pro-
ven to have adjusted very
well. Besides being a soldier
and commander, Israeli earn-
ed a degree in industrial
engineering at the Technion
in Haifa. Married and the
father of two daughters, he
has worked as an engineer
with the Israeli Port Authori-
ty, and as a manager with
Arkira, the Israeli internal
airlines. From 1985-1987,
Israeli worked with Primen-
no Construction in Johan.
nesburg, South Africa.
NEWS 1"'""
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ADL Asks Close
Of PLO Office
New York — The Anti-
Defamation League of B'nai
B'rith has called on Secretary
of State George P. Schultz to
close the Palestine Informa-
tion Office in Washington,
saying "continued operation
of that office is contrary to our
national interest!'
In a letter to the Secretary
of State, Burton S. Levinson,
ADL national chairman, ex-
pressed the league's support
for pending Congressional
legislation which would pro-
hibit the Palestine Liberation
Organization from operating
an "office, headquarters,
premises or other facilities or
establishments" in the
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THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
121