IDF deepening ties to Jerusalem, Zamir says ahead of 59th anniversary of city’s reunification

Members of the General Staff Forum, which includes around 30 of the military’s top commanders, met with Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Lion on Tuesday to mark Jerusalem Day.

By JNS

The Israel Defense Forces is working to deepen its ties to Jerusalem through new initiatives, including plans for a recruitment office and military museum in the capital, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir said on Monday in remarks ahead of Jerusalem Day.

“Our connection with the city of Jerusalem is deep and meaningful,” Zamir told members of the IDF’s General Staff Forum.

“These days, we are working to establish a dedicated recruitment office in the city and to open an IDF museum in the city.”

Zamir in his speech described Jerusalem as a symbol of unity and compared the holy city to the IDF as an institution that brings together all segments of the Jewish state’s population.

“Jerusalem reminds us where we draw our strength from. Our capital city. The city for which we fought,” he said.

“A city where people live side by side, not against one another. Everyone is part of the unique fabric of this city.”

“The IDF is the same—the people’s army, which brings together all parts of Israeli society around one shared mission: defending the state and ensuring our future here,” declared the chief of staff.

Members of the General Staff Forum, which includes around 30 of the military’s top commanders, met with Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Lion on Tuesday to mark Jerusalem Day.

“We were moved to host the General Staff Forum in the Jerusalem City Council Chamber, the place where decisions are made that affect the lives of over one million residents of the capital,” Lion stated in remarks shared by the IDF.

“The IDF and Jerusalem are two pillars of the State of Israel, and the connection between them is deep and inseparable,” he continued.

Lion praised what he described as a “historic agreement” to relocate IDF bases to Jerusalem, hailing it as “a significant and Zionist step that strengthens Jerusalem and the entire State of Israel.”

“I would like to thank the chief of general staff, Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, for the years-long partnership and for his commitment to strengthening Jerusalem and its status,” added the mayor.

Jerusalem Day, celebrated on 28th day of the Hebrew month of Iyar, commemorates the reunification of the city during the 1967 Six-Day War, an event of profound historical and religious significance for the Jewish people, bringing all of Jerusalem under Jewish rule for the first time in nearly 2,000 years.

The Israel Police has completed its preparations for Jerusalem Day events later this week, including the traditional flag parade, which is expected to draw tens of thousands of Jews to the Old City, the force said on Monday.

Thousands of police officers, Border Police personnel and volunteers will be deployed across the city ahead of the celebrations, which will take place on Thursday and Friday.