Israel Celebrates Jerusalem Day 2025

Friday, 23 May 2025 | Jerusalem Day, or Yom Yerushalayim will begin Sunday evening at sundown, as Israelis celebrate the reunification of the Jewish state’s capital 58 years ago in the Six Day War. 

A sea of blue and white will soon fill the city as Israel’s flags are waved with pride through the streets and Israelis dressed in white—symbolic of purity, joy, and celebration in Jewish tradition—will dance and celebrate together throughout the city. The Star of David and the Lion of Judah, the emblem of Jerusalem, will be displayed from the flagpoles and balconies of many homes. 

The event commemorates the end of the Six Day War on June 7, 1967—the 28th day of the Hebrew month of Iyar. Ending the defensive war, the Israeli military broke the Jordanian chokehold over eastern Jerusalem and restored the city to Jewish sovereignty and with it access to the Western Wall among other sacred sites. 

Then-Defense Minister Moshe Dayan declared: “We have united Jerusalem, the divided capital of Israel. We have returned to the holiest of our holy places, never to part from it again. To our Arab neighbors we extend, also at this hour—and with added emphasis at this hour—our hand in peace.” 

Dayan also promised freedom and rights for Christians and Muslims in the city and called for unity. 

A highlight of the celebrations is the Flag March which will take its usual route from the Jerusalem Great Synagogue, into the Old City via Damascus Gate, before ending at the Western Wall. 

While the day is one of celebration, police are preparing for friction ahead of the Jerusalem Flag March. Thousands of Israelis will parade through the Old City’s Muslim Quarter towards the Western Wall and will prompt the closing of several roads to traffic as a result. With so many in attendance, police will be out in force to maintain order. 

Celebrations Clouded by Tensions 

The mood is already tense following the murder of Israeli mother Tzeela Gez, on her way to give birth to her fourth child, and the shooting of two Israeli embassy staff members in Washington, D.C. Prime Minister Netanyahu ascribed the attack to “blood libels against Israel,” firmly indicating he feels the incitement and false accusations against the Jewish state sparked the violence. 

For many in Israel, the focus will likely be back on Jerusalem. Eastern Jerusalem is the site that the Palestinians want for the capital of their own sovereign state, as it includes the Temple Mount, where the first and second Jewish Temples once stood and where the Al-Aqsa Mosque now stands, the third holiest site in Islam. 

With the augmented security forces and high hopes for a peaceful day, the City of Gold is commemorating the day that it became wholly accessible to the Jewish people, once again their eternal, undivided capital. To this day, Jews face the direction of Jerusalem for prayer, faithfully honoring their traditions and beloved city. 

While the holiday itself does not attain the popularity of Yom Ha’atzmaut, or Israel Independence Day, nor is it considerably observed outside of Israel, it still holds significant meaning. The fact that thousands of Israelis travel (some even hike) to Jerusalem to display solidarity with the city, shows it holds special importance to the State of Israel. It’s a day that celebrates the existence and triumphs of the modern state and where many will cite a common phrase quoting Psalm 122:3, Ir shehubrah lah yahdaiv, “a city uniting all.” May this be our prayer over the weekend as Israelis ready themselves for another eventful week ahead.

Bridges for Peace office in Jerusalem will be closed on Monday to join the Jewish people as they celebrate!