024RDB.060117 ER Six-Day War.Indd

eretz Ours Again! 50 years later, iconic photo still evokes elation of Six-Day War win. DAVID RUBINGER DAVID Editor’s Note: This story t was the picture seen photograph and asked them to “I saw an Israeli soldier in and winded our way to the first appeared on the around the world. share a few memories from the the area — I had no idea where Western Wall. I was very moved Israel Defense Forces blog I In June 1967, David special day. she came from. I asked her, by what we accomplished that on May 20, 2012, during Rubinger, a press photogra- Zion Karasenti is 69 years ‘Where am I?’ She said, ‘This is day. I am not religious, but I the 45th anniversary of pher in Israel, followed Israel old. He fought in the Battle of the Western Wall.’ Then, before realized how important it was the Six-Day War. Defense Forces soldiers who Ammunition Hill in Jerusalem. disappearing, she gave me a for Jews worldwide.” were fighting to liberate the Today he lives in Afula and is a postcard and told me to write Born in Yemen in 1944, Chaim Old City of Jerusalem. At the director and choreographer. to my parents. I thought I had Oshri immigrated to Israel in Western Wall, three soldiers “I had finally been mobilized, dreamed it. But years later, I 1949 and completed his military posed for a photograph. They and almost all of the reservists met this woman. She was a sol- service in 1965. He was called were Tzion Karasenti, Yitzhak in my unit were already in com- dier in the IDF Postal Corps.” up for reserve duty in the days Yifat and Chaim Oshri. bat,” Karasenti said. “I remem- Yitzhak Yifat, 69, is a gynecol- leading up to the Six-Day War. While their names are ber my mother’s fear — and her ogist and obstetrician. In 1967, “The battle for Ammunition not famous, their faces have tears. I knew our country had he was 24 years old and living Hill was the worst time of war,” become symbols of the reunifi- no choice, and I had to do my in Tel Aviv. he said. “As a religious Jew, it cation of Jerusalem. duty to defend it.” “I had a toothache when we was very special for me to par- ABOVE: This iconic photo by To mark the 45th anniversary On Ammunition Hill, the arrived in Jerusalem,” he said. ticipate in the battle for the lib- press photographer David of that day — the 28th of Iyar soldiers come under fire from “I fought while my mouth was eration of Jerusalem. We pray Rubinger captured the elation of on the Hebrew calendar — we Jordanian forces. still numb from local anesthe- three times a day while facing regaining the Western Wall. found the three men from the “There was a passage covered sia. There was hand-to-hand Jerusalem. I could not imagine with barbed wire,” Karasenti combat in the trenches on how magical it would be to see recalled. “I jumped on it and Ammunition Hill. My best the Western Wall for the first helped others to cross. I felt friend was hit in the back, and time. That was my dream!” no pain. We went into the a Jordanian was about to shoot In front of the wall, a press ANDREW TOBIN trenches. They were not very him again. I shot first.” photographer, David Rubinger, deep, but they were quite nar- Yifat lost many friends in approached the three soldiers row. When someone was hurt, that battle. Their names are and pointed his lens at them. we had to lift his body over now etched in stone at the “He told us to look up and our heads. The Jordanian army memorial at the site. was lying on the ground to fought hard to the last man.” Not long after the Battle of take the photo,” Oshri said. Karasenti, then 24 years old, Ammunition Hill ended, Yifat “It’s just incredibly lucky for was the first paratrooper to prepared to enter the Old City. us to have been present at reach the Western Wall. He “The entry into the Old City this historic moment and to did not immediately recognize was chaotic,” he said. “We appear in this photograph. It is where he was standing. entered through a small gate a great honor.” • The soldiers in Rubinger’s photos: Tzion Karasenti, Yitzhak Yifat and Chaim Oshri on the Tel Aviv University campus in Ramat Aviv on May 7. 24 June 1 • 2017 jn.

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