Reproduced below is a Hebrew-to-English transcript of the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) radio traffic on the morning of June 7, 1967, recorded live as the 55th Paratroopers Brigade liberated the Temple Mount and Western Wall during the Six-Day War. The following people are featured …
Col. Motta Gur commanded the 55th (Reserve) Paratroopers Brigade, the primary military unit deployed for the capture of the Temple Mount and Western Wall;
Gen. Uzi Narkiss commanded the IDF central Region, which included Jerusalem, and was charged with defending against Jordanian aggression;
Commander 89 was unidentified by name;
Yossi Ronen was an IDF radio reporter;
Rabbi Gen. Shlomo Goren was the Orthodox Zionist (Ashkenazi) Chief Rabbi of the Israeli army …
(transcript of the wireless radio transmissions)
Colonel Motta Gur on loudspeaker atop Mount of Olives: All company commanders, we’re sitting right now on the ridge [Mount of Olives] and we’re seeing the Old City. Shortly we’re going to go in to the Old City of Jerusalem, that all generations have dreamed about. We will be the first to enter the Old City. Eitan’s tanks will advance on the left and will enter the Lion’s Gate. The final rendezvous will be on the open square [of the Temple Mount].
Sound of applause by the soldiers …
Yossi Ronen: We are now walking on one of the main streets of Jerusalem towards the Old City. The head of the force is about to enter the Old City.
Sound of gunfire nearby …
Yossi Ronen: There is still shooting from all directions; we’re advancing towards the entrance of the Old City.
Gunfire and sound of running soldiers’ footsteps … Yelling of commands to soldiers … More running soldiers’ footsteps.
Yossi Ronen: The soldiers are keeping a distance of approximately five meters between them … It’s still dangerous to walk around here; there is still sniper shooting here and there.
More gunfire …
Yossi Ronen: We’re all told to stop … we’re advancing towards the mountainside … on our left is the Mount of Olives … we’re now in the Old City opposite the Russian church … I’m right now lowering my head, we’re running next to the mountainside … We can see the stone walls … They’re still shooting at us.
More gunfire …
Yossi Ronen: Israeli tanks are at the entrance to the Old City, and we’re going ahead, through the Lion’s Gate. I’m with the first unit to break through into the Old City … There is a Jordanian bus next to me, totally burnt; it is very hot here … We’re about to enter the Old City itself. We’re standing below the Lion’s Gate, the Gate is about to come crashing down, probably because of the previous shelling. Soldiers are taking cover next to the palm trees.
More gunfire …
Yossi Ronen: I’m also staying close to one of the trees … We’re getting further and further into the City.
More gunfire …
Colonel Motta Gur: The Temple Mount is in our hands! I repeat, the Temple Mount is in our hands!
More gunfire …
Colonel Motta Gur: All forces, stop firing! This is the David Operations Room. I repeat, all forces, stop firing! Over.
Commander 89: Commander eight-nine here, is this Motta talking? Over … Inaudible response on the army wireless by Motta Gur.
Gen. Uzi Narkiss: Motta, there isn’t anybody like you. You’re next to the Mosque of Omar.
Yossi Ronen: I’m driving fast through the Lion’s Gate all the way inside the Old City.
Command Headquarters: Comb the area, discover the source of the firing. Protect every building, in every way. Do not touch anything, especially in the holy places.
Lt.-Col. Uzi Eilam blows the Shofar … Soldiers are singing Jerusalem of Gold. [a patriotic song written by Naomi Shemer in 1967 and introduced at the Israel Song Festival just before the war, video copyright Yael Lavie]
Gen. Narkiss: Tell me, where is the Western Wall? How do we get there?
Yossi Ronen: I’m walking right now down the steps towards the Western Wall. I’m not a religious man, I never have been, but this is the Western Wall and I’m touching the stones of the Western Wall.
Soldiers reciting the ‘Shehechianu’ blessing: Baruch ata Hashem, elokeinu melech haolam, she-hechianu ve-kiemanu ve-hegianu la-zman ha-zeh.
[Translation: Blessed art Thou Lord God King of the Universe who has sustained us and kept us and has brought us to this day.]
Rabbi Shlomo Goren: Baruch ata Hashem, menachem tsion u-voneh Yerushalayim.
[Translation: Blessed are thou, who comforts Zion and builds Jerusalem.]
Soldiers: Amen! … Soldiers sing HaTiqvah (Israel’s national anthem) at the Western Wall.
Rabbi Goren: We’re now going to recite the prayer for the fallen soldiers of this war against all of the enemies of Israel.
Soldiers weeping …
Rabbi Goren: El male rahamim, shohen ba-meromim. Hamtse menuha nahona al kanfei hashina, be-maalot kedoshim, giborim ve-tehorim, kezohar harakiya meirim u-mazhirim. Ve-nishmot halalei tsava hagana le-yisrael, she-naflu be-maaraha zot, neged oievei yisrael, ve-shnaflu al kedushat Hashem ha-am ve-ha’arets, ve-shichrur Beit Hamikdash, Har Habayit, Hakotel ha-ma’aravi veyerushalayim ir ha-elokim. Be-gan eden tehe menuhatam. Lahen ba’al ha-rahamim, yastirem beseter knafav le-olamim. Ve-yitsror be-tsror ha-hayim et nishmatam adoshem hu nahlatam, ve-yanuhu be-shalom al mishkavam ve-ya’amdu le-goralam le-kets ha-yamim ve-nomar amen!
[Translation: Merciful God in heaven, may the heroes and the pure be under thy Divine wings, among the holy and the pure who shine bright as the sky, and the souls of soldiers of the Israeli army who fell in this war against the enemies of Israel, who fell for their loyalty to God and the land of Israel, who fell for the liberation of the Temple, the Temple Mount, the Western Wall and Jerusalem the city of the Lord. May their place of rest be in paradise. Merciful One, O keep their souls forever alive under Thy protective wings. The Lord being their heritage, may they rest in peace, for they shalt rest and stand up for their allotted portion at the end of the days, and let us say, Amen!]
Soldiers weeping …
Rabbi Goren sounds the shofar …
Sound of gunfire in the background …
Rabbi Goren holding Torah scroll: Le-shana HA-ZOT be-Yerushalayim ha-b’nuya, be-yerushalayim ha-atika!
[Translation: This year in a rebuilt Jerusalem! In the Jerusalem of old!]
(end of transcript)
Copyright © 2008 Isracast (www.isracast.com). All rights reserved. Used by permission.
Listen to the recording: IDF Radio Traffic on June 7, 1967 (in Hebrew)
This video will give you a brief history of the liberation of the Temple Mount and Old Jerusalem by Israeli troops in 1967.
