The Mount Scopus Story &
My Personal Six Day War Story .
At the end of the Six Day war, Mordechai Gilat
wrote a history of Mount Scopus.
Starting with the establishment of the Hebrew
University, through the HADASA convoy
massacre in 1948, the existence as an isolated
enclave, cut off from the state of Israel and held
by 120 "policemen" for 19 years, it ends ends
with the mountain in the Six Day war.
I was partook in the final days of the story as a
young reserve officer, aged 23, posing as a
policeman. Today I am 66 years old.
Almost every year, on “Jerusalem day”, I go up
to the mountain with family or friends to tell this
never ending story.
Read this story carefully you will be learn a
forgotten legend.
1
The Establishment of the Hebrew University and the
start of the Mount Scopus Story in the 20th century
• In 1914, Dr. Arthur Ruppin, then the
manager of the Palestine Office of
the World Zionist Organization,
purchased an estate on Mount
Scopus belonging to Sir John GrayHill, an English lawyer. The
acquisition was carried out through
an obscure Russian Jewish
philanthropist, Issac Leib Goldberg,
who the donated the estate to the
WZO.
• The purchase was made in order to
realize the vision of the
establishment of a “school of
learning, wisdom and labour in the
land of Israel” as put forth by
Professor Shapiro at first zionist
congress Basel, 1897.
• In 1918, in the presence of General
Allenby,
13 cornerstones for the
2
Hebrew university were laid down.
Present at the ceremony, seen here standing near DR.
Chaim Weizman, was the Mufti of Jerusalem, Camal Amin
Al-Husseini.
What was he doing there?
3
On April 1st, 1925, the official ceremony marking the opening of the
university was held on the mountain. Partaking in the celebrations were
5000 people, young and old, men women and children, all having “climbed
the mountain before dawn”.
When the elderly Earl of Balfour ascended the raised platform “a long
round of applause burst forth from the crowd”.
Also on the platform were Herbert Samuel, the High Commissioner for
Palestine, DR. CHAIM WIEZMAN, Nahum Sokolow and the authors Hayim
Nahman Bialik and Achad Ha'am (Asher Ginsberg) .
Chief rabbi Abraham Isaac Cook delivered his "Mount Scopus speech"
4
The two main unique sites of the university were:
The amphitheater facing the Judean desert and the dead sea,
and the national library facing the temple mount.
5
In 1939 the Hadassah Hospital was established, making
Mount Scopus “a spiritual and medical ” compound
without peer in the Middle East.
6
The connection between west Jerusalem and the university and
Hadassah was maintained by bus route # 9 of the "hamekasher“ bus
company.
The during the Arab rebellion the compound was designated as an
independent Haganah district (district No. 11).
The physics complex became a Haganah training base and an
underground shooting range for the Haganah units in the Jerusalem.
7
Before the U.N declaration (1947) unarmored “Hamekasher” buses
traveled in convoys to the mountain.
A convoy to Mount Scopus
8
Until March 4th 1948, the British provided escort to the unarmored bus
convoys. From that date on, the responsibility for convoy security was
transferred to the Haganah.
9
British police escorting a convoy to Mount Scopus
Following the U.N. resolution adopting the “partition plan for Palestine” the mountain
came under siege. University and hospital staff, assisted by a Haganah force, fortified
the mountain, fenced it, lay minefields around it and maintained a guard routine of the
compound and its installations.
Most of the hospital’s equipment, and the university, complete with labs and libraries,
was transported to western Jerusalem in truck convoy escorted by armored cars.
These same convoys also served to periodically replace those on the mountain –
fighters as well as university and hospital personnel.
One of the convoys- the Hadassah convoy – transporting doctors and nurses to the
mountain, was attacked by Arabs. 79 people were killed. (Full story on next slide)
10
The Hadassah convoy massacre
The security of the mountain began to deteriorate early in 1948.
One Hadassah bus was ambushed, 10 passengers were wounded and the
evacuation of the hospital and university to the western city was accelerated.
Following the April 8th killing of Abd al-Qadir al-Husayni at the “Castel” and
the April 9th "Etzel" led operation at Deir Yassin, an Arab revenge attack was
organized targeting the medical staff convoy to mount Scopus scheduled for
April 13th. This was one month before the Israeli declaration of independence.
In the attack 79 doctors, nurses and hospital personell were killed, many of
them burned alive in the vehicles.
The attack lasted 7 hours. Many British soldiers, including those on patrol
nearby, witnessed the attack unfold. Despite calls for help by the Haganah and
the screams of those burned alive, the British refused to intervene until late in
the afternoon when little remained but charred vehicles.
One wounded survivor, Dr. Matot, managed to crawl a few tens of meters to the
“Antonius house”, the H.Q. of a British army company. His detailed account of
events can be found in book about Mount Scopus shown in slide 1.
11
A map of the area travelled by the convoys, through Sheikh Jarrah, to Mount
Scopus. The Hadassah convoy was attacked near the “Tomb of Shimon the Just”.
A tactical sketch of the attack on the convoy
13
The “small ambulance” and one (two?) of the victims
14
The memorial plaque with the names of the Hadassah convoy
victims in Sheikh Jarrah
15
At the start of the war of independence the Jordanians try to conquer the mountain. An
armored Jordanian force reached the “British cemetery” gate. Two of the defenders,
Moerdechai Rap And Tuvia Rotshtein, fired anti tank rifles at the lead vehicle and set it
ablaze. The other vehicles turned back and withdrew. The Jordanian radio reported the
conquest of the mountain, causing anxiety in Jerusalem and great concern for the fate
of the defenders. A similar report was broadcast by the Jordanians during the Six Day
War. During the intervening years, several other incidents occurred when the patrols
around the mountain’s perimeter were fired upon; several soldiers were hit. One notable
incident involved the injury of a U.N. colonel called Flint. Detailed accounts can be
found in Moerdechai Gilat's book.
16
The Mount Scopus enclave
On the day Israel declared its independence, 14th May 1948, the Jordanian legion
seized Sheikh Jarrah and cut off Mount Scopus from Jerusalem. The mountain
became a Jewish enclave in an Arab controlled area.
The postwar ceasefire agreement allowed Israel to keep 120 policemen on the
mountain and the Jordanians to keep 46 policemen at the “Augusta Victoria”
17
A map of the Israeli Mount Scopus enclave, and the Jordanian
Augusta Victoria enclave, separated by no man’s land. The Israeli
and the Jordanian/U.N. version s are shown – the latter prevailed.
H.U.J.I.
Augusta Victoria Hospital
18
Israeli version
Jordanian /U.N. version
In accordance with the terms of the ceasefire agreement, armoured
convoys carrying policemen and food went to the mountain once a
fortnight. Each convoy brought 60 policemen for one month’s stay. In this
manner, half the force was replaced each fortnight while the other half
would overlap with the fresh force.
The same armoured buses from
1948 were used until 1967. The
policemen would board at the
Mandelbaum checkpoint
following a strict and degrading
inspection of their person and
kit by the Jordanian legionaries .
The inspection of the supplies
often included bayoneting of the
foodstuffs.
The buses were escorted by two
Jordanian and two UN jeeps.
One armed legionary was aboard
each bus. The policemen,
unarmed, were instructed that in
case the convoy was attacked
they should snatch the
legionary’s weapon for self
defence. An absurd solution.
19
The armory at the physics building was for the “permitted” weapons,
outdated British rifles and Bren guns from 1948.
Whenever a UN inspection was expected we would hide the IDF issue
weapons that were smuggled to the mountain, and present ourselves with
the British weaponry.
20
Just as the weapons were fake, so were the policemen – actually they
were IDF soldiers in disguise. The officer’s hat was replaced by a
policeman’s. This is how I reached the mountain and was there during
the Six Day War, and ,being a member of the last group that went to the
mountain – won a policeman’s hat for a souvenir.
21
How was IDF weaponry smuggled to the mountain?
How did mortars, shells, anti-tank mines, even jeeps carrying
recoilless rifles arrive on the mountain?
We, IDF reservists serving on the mountain, never knew how the weapons got
there. The only ones who did were the commander, nicknamed “king of the
mountain” and 20 young military intelligence men, called “the king’s lads”.
They protected the secret zealously . It seems to me it was the best kept secret
in Israel, more so than the reactor at Dimona. At night, they would wake up us
officers, and lead us to the DMZ outside the compound. We were sent to fetch
heavy loads of weapons and ammo that were smuggled to the mountain , so
we were told, by Arab collaborators and by Sayeret Matkal “flour convoys”,
from west Jerusalem.
One night I was sent with another officer to the eastern slopes of the mountain,
where we found and brought in a very heavy, sealed, milk jug. The soldiers on
duty in that sector were instructed to move away so they will not be exposed to
the22“great secret”
(Continued on next slide)
On the following night I was taken to the north side of the compound, to the
fence between the Hadassa hospital and the British cemetery (see image). I
was sent to find a large bag next to the 32nd tombstone on row 7. I returned
sweating heavily from the load, but mostly from fear. The load was then
carted away by the king’s lads to some secret hideaway.
Two weeks later we were woken up again, to be led blindfolded through some
tunnels, we could hear music in Arabic. We were told that we are crossing to
western Jerusalem through a tunnel under Wadi Joz. We were finally allowed
to remove the blindfolds in some sealed room - to find a table laid out for a
feast. Behind the table was a large stack of closed bags, open ammo boxes
filled
23 with stones and metal parts, all topped by a skull. These were the loads
we carried at night. The king’s lads stood there giggling - at us.
On that occasion we signed a irrevocable pledge not to reveal any of the
mountain’s secrets, to soldiers family or friends. We added our signatures to
“the Wadi Joz Scroll” where all the officers who served before us on the
mountain had signed.
Well, how was the weaponry really smuggled? I only learned the answer many
years after the war. All you have to do is read on.
24
The “mountain king” and his lads belonged to a military intelligence
unit established in 1956 for operating the "police force” on Mount
Scopus. It was called "matzof 247"
Between 1948 and 1956, prior to the establishment of Matzof 247,
the defense of Mount Scopus was assigned to a two company
force. Once a fortnight, a fresh company would arrive, aboard the
allowed convoys, for a four week tour of duty. The CO of the
“veteran” company would command the mountain with the CO of
the “fresh” company as his deputy. The buses only stayed 2 hours
before retuning with the company being relieved.
The mountain had no permanent command and administration, no
one responsible for long term planning and ongoing management
of logistics and operations. There were no effective procedures
and no continuity of intelligence and operations. These conditions
were difficult for the command.
These are the reasons that led to the establishment of the “Matzof”
unit, commanded by a career officer, the “king” and consisting of
20 regular service soldiers from military intelligence. They managed
the mountain continuously, transported the “illegal” weapons, and
prepared the mountain for an eventual war.
The story of this unit, from establishment, as told by one of the “kings lads”, Aryeh
Shinper, I keep in a separate directory, and is not included the attachments to the
slideshow.
25
The emblem of the
Military Intelligence unit " matzof 247 "
- of Mount Scopus
26
Mount Scopus in the six days war
35 days before the war I was called for … 35 days of reserve service.
After days of preparations at Camp Schneler army base in Jerusalem, we
boarded the armoured buses dressed as policemen.
The convoy to the mountain was escorted by U.N. and Jordanian Legion
jeeps.
27
We reached the mountain two weeks before "independence day" and after being
updated by the departing force we took responsibility for half of the posts on the
mountain. For the first two weeks I was in command of the “road post” which included
the “Magnus Building”, “Rosenblum” and the road block on the road to Augusta
Victoria. From this post one could see all of eastern Jerusalem, as if someone placed it
in the palm of your hand.
The bottommost building in this image is the “broadcasting building”
28
Independence Day, 15th May 1967 and the
military parade
• To mark its 19th independence day, Israel planned an impressive
military parade in Jerusalem and a state ceremony at the
amphitheater of the Givat Ram campus of the Hebrew University .
• Egyptian president Gamal Abdul Nasser was mislead by the
soviets to believe that Israel was amassing military forces near
border with Syria, with whom Egypt had a mutual defence
agreement. Nasser used the military parade as a Casus Belli,
stating that Israel has broken the ceasefire agreement with Jordan
by staging a military parade in Jerusalem. The day after the
parade he mobilised his army, through Cairo, and into the Sinai.
• On the evening of the parade, I as on the mountain. With my
platoon we held a ceremony of our own. Opposite the temple
mount we raised a huge fire sign “Shalom Jerusalem” .
• I had been warned by the “king of the mountain” not to cause a
provocation. I ignored his warning though.
29
This was the view of Jerusalem and the temple mount from where we held
our ceremony at the front of the national library. While we stood there we
could hear the singing, by the thousands of people at the state ceremony,
of the song: “From atop the crest of Mount Scopus – Shalom to you
Jerusalem”. We joined the singing, tears in our eyes, and lit the fire sign:
“shalom Jerusalem”.
30
This is the view today, from atop the crest of Mount
Scopus, almost the same angle. Once can see the old
city and the temple mount.
31
‫– ‪From atop the crest of Mount Scopus‬‬
‫‪Shalom to you Jerusalem‬‬
‫‪Avigdor Hameiri’s wonderful song.‬‬
‫מעל פסגת הר הצופים‬
‫אשתחווה לך אפיים!‬
‫מעל פסגת הר הצופים‬
‫שלום לך ירושלים!‬
‫מאה דורות חלמתי עליך‪.‬‬
‫לזכות לראות באור פניך!‬
‫ירושלים‪,‬ירושלים‬
‫האירי פניך לבנך!‬
‫ירושלים ירושלים‪,‬‬
‫מחורבותיך אבנך!‬
‫מעל פסגת הר הצופים‬
‫שלום לך ירושלים!‬
‫אלפי גולים מקצות תבל‬
‫נושאים אליך עיניים‪.‬‬
‫באלפי ברכות היי ברוכה!‬
‫מקדש מלך‪,‬עיר מלוכה!‬
‫ירושלים‪,‬ירושלים‪,‬‬
‫אני לא אזוז מפה!‬
‫ירושלים‪ ,‬ירושלים‪,‬‬
‫יבוא המשיח יבוא‪.‬‬
‫‪32‬‬
From atop the crest of Mount Scopus –
Shalom to you Jerusalem
Avigdor Hameiri’s wonderful song.
Literal translation – not lyric.
From atop the crest of Mount Scopus
I bow down to thee, Jerusalem.
From atop the crest of Mount Scopus
Shalom to thee, Jerusalem.
For a hundred generations I have dreamed of you,
To be granted, to behold, the light of your face.
Jerusalem, Jerusalem,
Light up your face to your Son.
Jerusalem, Jerusalem,
From your ruins I shall rebuild thee.
33
From atop the crest of Mount Scopus –
Shalom to you Jerusalem
Avigdor Hameiri’s wonderful song.
Literal translation – not lyric.
From atop the crest of Mount Scopus
Shalom to thee, Jerusalem.
Thousands of exiles from the ends of the earth
To you raise up their eyes.
Be blessed by thousands of blessings.
King’s temple, royal city.
Jerusalem, Jerusalem,
I shall not move from here.
Jerusalem, Jerusalem,
The Messiah will come, will come.
34
King Hussein joins the Egypt – Syria axis, against
Israel. The fortification of Mount Scopus
The Egyptian army took up positions on the Israeli border. The people of
Israel were mobilised , for active military duty and for digging in (civil
defense), in towns far from the front.
A week later, King Hussein went to Egypt and was persuaded by Nasser
to join the military action against Israel. The following day, upon his
return to Jordan, his army went into motion, advancing from the east
bank of the Jordan, though the Ma’aleh Adumim ridge to Jerusalem.
Jordanian infantry, armor and artillery took up positions around Mount
Scopus and the city.
Mortars and anti-tank recoilless guns were positioned atop the temple
mount; trucks roamed east Jerusalem carrying ecstatic soldiers shouting
“Allah Hu Akbar”.
We huddled anxiously in our trenches and spent the nights laying
minefields, surrounding the mountain with barbed wire , strengthening
fortifications, digging communications trenches between the various
posts and preparing for perimeter defence. Our stated mission: Hold the
mountain for 24hours, until the IDF arrives.
35
A reshuffle of posts and sectors in the lead up to war
One week before the war we had a reshuffle of forces and posts
on the mountain. I moved with my platoon to the “physics” post
(east of “road post”), overlooking Augusta Victoria, Ma’aleh
Adumim and the “slaughterhouse sector” – Issawiah.
The sector included the physics building and the amphitheatre.
My position at “road” was taken by Meir Sinai. “Sport” was
commanded by Avi Levi. Company C.O. Shaki served as deputy to
the king as was awarded the title “president”.
Our “formal” positions were placed on the buildings. These
actaully served only as observation posts as they were easily
seen from the Jordanian side. We built our battle positions among
the pines on the slopes of the mountain, hidden by vegetation and
camouflage nets. Above the dugouts we placed wooden logs and
covered these with sand bags, following general Panfilov (from
“Volokolamsk Highway”).
36
The amphitheater facing the Dead Sea and the physics building. Atop
each is an “observation post”. Bottom image: a “fighting post” facing
the Arab village Al-Issawiya.
37
The physics building and its abandoned laboratories tell the sad
story of the university. After a visit to one of these labs I wrote in
the post’s log book “would that I be granted to redeem this place
from its desolation”. An unwitting prophecy.
38
The fighting on the mountain in the six days’ war
At 08:00 on June 5th the war started on the Egyptian front. The Jordanians vacillated
until the false boasting from Cairo (radio) convinced them to join the fighting.
At 10:00 sirens were heard from Jerusalem and direct fire erupted from Augusta
Victoria, aimed at the “road” and “physics” posts.
The intensity of the fire increased and was accompanied by heavy mortar shelling of
the mountain. Our mortars returned fire. From my vantage point I was able to locate
and range the two 120mm mortars that were firing from “the slaughterhouse” on the
mountain and on Jerusalem. Using coordinates and angle of sight data I passed to
Israel Zindorf, the artillery officer, heavy mortars fired from Jerusalem at the Jordanian
batteries and they cease firing.
Meanwhile the Hadassa sector came under heavy fire from the “French Hill”.
Our visible, “observation posts” were destroyed by Jordanian fire. The one on top of
the physics building was hardest hit as we placed an old pipe there that looked like a
mortar .
My machine gunner, a fearless warrior called Moshe Greenshtein, fired 13 thousand
rounds until his guns’ barrel overheated and disintegrated.
After dark we sighted the movement of armoured forces from Ma’aleh Adumim towards
Jeruslaem. Vautour attack aircraft were launched, and with the aid of illumination
rounds, identified and destroyed they Jordanian 60th armoured brigade.
That day the Jordanian radio announced that Mount Scopus has fallen and most of its
men captured. My wife calmed her family saying: “that’s impossible because Uri is
there.” Until that moment only she new the secret – my whereabouts.
39
Paratroops’ action in Jerusalem & breaching the Mt’ Scopus enclave.
On the morning of June 6th, the 2nd day of the war, the paratroop brigade
attacked east Jerusalem. The attack lost momentum after encountering
strong opposition at "ammunition hill" and taking heavy casualties. The
fighters sticks to goal set by the their commanders: “liberate Mount
Scopus" .
After the heroic, bloody battle at "ammunition hill", and after another
regiment took the road and the Rockefeller museum, the paratroops
prepared to take Mount Scopus. The road was actually open but heavy
fire persisted in the area.
At noon a jeep escorted by a halftrack arrived at the mountain.
Amazingly, the occupants of the jeep were non other than MOSHE
DAYAN - the defence minister, general UZI NARKIS – C.O. “central
command”, and general GHANDI (Zeevi).
The arrival of paratroop force at the mountain was postponed due the
sighting of a new Jordanian force coming in from the east, and due to
grave navigational error by the armored support force tasked with
reaching the mountain through the “A Tur – Rockefeller” road. In the
dark, this force went off course, reached “Lions’ Gate” and came under
attack by recoilless guns positioned atop the walls of the temple mount.
The force suffered losses in men and armor.
Consequently, only the morning of the June 7th did the paratroops reach
the mountain, from the north, en route to take Augusta Victoria.
40
JUNE 6th, noon. While the fire is still raging, Moshe Dayan, Uzi
Narkis and Ghandi arrive on the mountain. Accompanying is the
"king" of the mountain
41
Capturing AUGUSTA VICTORIA
On the morning of June 7th, the 3rd day of the war, the paratroopers arrived
at the mountain, followed closely by an armored force from 10th brigade. The
armored force that went from Latrun to Ramallah encircled Jerusalem from
the north and forced enemy armor to retreat towards the Judean desert and
Jericho.
The armored force advancing on Augusta Victoria did not heed our warnings
about landmines and three tanks were hit by our own mines. After “target
softening” by mortar fire, Napalm was dropped by our Ouragans on the
Augusta Victoria targets. The entire fortified compound burst into flames. The
wind drove the fire in our direction and several positions at the Phsyics post
were burned. I tried to rescue some ammunition and hand grenades but was
choked by the smoke. My men extracted me through the firing hatch of one of
the positions, only half conscious.
One of our aircraft was shot down by the Jordanians and hit the ground near
the MAR ELIAS monastery on the way to BEIT LECHEM.
During the storming of Augusta Victoria GIORA ASHKENAZY, the c.o. of D
company of the paratroop regiment was hit and killed. He was from kibbutz
NIR DAVID. (His memory lives on in the book “a lad grew on the banks of the
Assi”.) The command was passed to MICA HORIN from my kibbutz, TIRAT
ZVI. He pressed on the attack to its successful end.
As the fighting ended I took a big flag and, accompanied by one other soldier,
ran to the bell tower of the church and flew the flag from its top. The
Jordanian response was well aimed fire from A-Tur. We lay down, our backs
to the inner wall of the bell tower, and pushed the bell with our legs till it
tolled
loudly, its music augmented by the bullets striking it as it rang.
42
That ringing continues in my ears whenever I think of the occasion.
A Dassault Ouragan support aircraft drops Napalm on" Augusta"
Visit of Yizhak Rabin, IDF chief of staff, to the mountain after it’s
liberation.
Front row, left to right, Uzi Narkis, Yizkak Rabin, The “mountain king”
Shrepmann, General Hertzog ,and me (right hand side).
44
The liberation of old city, the victory parade and
the memorial ceremony at the amphitheater on
Mount Scopus
The paratroops continued their thrust towards the
mount of olives. From there , accompanied by armor
from 10th brigade, they swept down towards the Lions’
Gate, and broke into the city.
Motta Gur’s call to his driver “Go Ben Zur GO” became
the stuff of legends. His Halftrack broke down the door
of the Lions Gate and immediately turned left to the
temple mount. The mountain was stormed and the
Israeli flag was flown there. Rabbi Goren sounded a
SHOFAR and the rest is history.
Atop the temple mount the paratroop brigade held a
victory parade, and the following day all went up to the
Amphitheatre on Mount Scopus for a gathering to
commemorate the fallen and mark the end of the
fighting in the newly united Jerusalem.
45
The liberation of old city, the victory parade and
the memorial ceremony at the amphitheater on
Mount Scopus
We sat there in awe, facing the Judean desert
gradually turning red with the setting sun.
On to the platform came one of the paratroopers,
Meir Ariel, later known as “the singing paratrooper”
and sang “Jerusalem of Gold” using new and painful
lyrics. We did not know the original, having been out
of contact with civilians for over a month. We did not
know of the song festival held the night after
independence day, or of the song specially written
and composed by Naomi Shemer for the event and
performed by Shuli Natan.
Meir Ariel changed the lyrics. When he sang
“Jerusalem of iron and lead and darkness, thy walls
we have liberated” his fellow paratroopers wept and
my heart missed a beat.
46
‫מול‬
‫ירושלים של זהב‬
‫חיברה‪ :‬נעמי שמר‬
‫שרה‪ :‬שולי נתן‬
‫ירושלים של ברזל‬
‫חיבר ושר באמפי של הר‬
‫הצופים‪ :‬מאיר אריאל‬
‫אויר הרים צלול כיין‬
‫וריח אורנים‬
‫נישא ברוח הערביים‬
‫עם קול פעמונים‪.‬‬
‫ירושלים של זהב ] ‪2‬‬
‫ובתרדמת אילן ואבן‬
‫שבויה בחלומה‬
‫העיר אשר בדד יושבת‬
‫ובלבה חומה‪.‬‬
‫] ‪2‬‬
‫ירושלים של זהב‬
‫ושל נחושת ושל אור‬
‫הלא לכל שירייך אני כינור‪.‬‬
‫במחשכיך ירושלים‬
‫מצאנו לב אוהב‬
‫עת באנו להרחיב גבוליך‬
‫ולמגר אויב‪.‬‬
‫ירושלים של ברזל ] ‪2‬‬
‫מכל מרגמותיו רווינו‬
‫ושחר קם פתאום‪,‬‬
‫הוא רק עלה‪ ,‬עוד לא הלבין הוא‬
‫וכבר היה –אדום‪.‬‬
‫] ‪2‬‬
‫ירושלים של ברזל‬
‫ושל עופרת ושל שחור‪-‬‬
‫הלא לחומותיך קראנו דרור‪.‬‬
‫‪47‬‬
‫ירושלים של זהב‬
‫מול‬
‫ירושלים של ברזל )המשך(‬
‫איכה יבשו בורות המים‬
‫ככר העיר ריקה‬
‫ואין פוקד את הר הבית‬
‫בעיר העתיקה‬
‫ירושלים של זהב ] ‪2‬‬
‫נושך שפתיו‪,‬שבע דם ויגע‬
‫הוסיף הגדוד ללחום‪-‬‬
‫עד שסוף סוף הונף הדגל‬
‫מעל בית הנכות‪...‬‬
‫ירושלים של ברזל] ‪2‬‬
‫ובמערות אשר בסלע‬
‫מיללות רוחות‬
‫ואין יורד אל ים המלח‬
‫בדרך יריחו‬
‫ירושלים של זהב ] ‪2‬‬
‫נפוצו כל גדודי המלך‬
‫צלף נדם צריחו‪.‬‬
‫ושוב נצעד אל ים המלח‬
‫בדרך יריחו‪...‬‬
‫ירושלים של ברזל ] ‪2‬‬
‫אך בבואי היום לשיר לך‬
‫ולך לקשור כתרים‬
‫קטנתי מצעיר בניך‬
‫מאחרון המשוררים‪....‬‬
‫ושוב נסור אל הר‪ -‬הבית‬
‫וכותל מערב‬
‫הנה הנך באור ערביים‬
‫כלך עוטה זהב‪.‬‬
‫כי שמך צורב את השפתים‪,‬כנשיקת שרף‬
‫אם אשכחך ירושלים‬
‫אשר כולה זהב‪....‬‬
‫ירושלים של זהב ] ‪2‬‬
‫ירושלים של זהב ] ‪2‬‬
‫ושל עופרת וחלום‪.‬‬
‫לעד בין חומותיך ישכון שלום‬
‫‪48‬‬
Humour – No comments: Before leaving the
mountain I photographed a few wall drawings
made by one of the soldiers that was stationed
there before me.
Before taking this phtograph I
chalked up the words:
“farewell, not ‘see you again’”
49
On Mount Scopus stood the frame of a building. We called it “the
unfinished house”. A similar building stood at the entrance to AlIssawiyah, we called that one “the house that will never be finished”.
After the war the “unfinished house” was completed – as a students
dorm.
50
When Mount Scopus was liberated, the armoured busses were
placed on the mountain, next to the “national museum” as
unwanted scrap. They were later moved to the cemetery.
51
“The king is dead’ – “ long live the king”
52
The guns went silent. The garrison dispersed. Menachem, the “king of the
mountain” mourned his lost kingdom and was sent to command the “Solomon”
region in the Sinai. Before leaving the mountain by bus, Egged route 9 to
Schenlller, I set an inspection, burning any “spoils of war”.
From Schenlller we went to our brigade HQ Near Nablus. We then ranged the
newly liberated land of Israel: visiting mounts Grizim and Eival, Sebastia, the
temple mount (where we saw the foundation stone) and even the Mar Sava
monastery in the Judean desert. Yep that kid is me.
53
Solving the riddle – the secret method used to supply
arms to Mount Scopus
Ten years ago I visited the army weapons museum in Jaffa. I was
surprised to find, among other armoured vehicles, the two buses used
to bring the “policemen” to the mountain every fortnight. The buses
revealed the secret. The roof and walls of the buses were double walled
and served as hidden compartments for mines, jeep parts, rifles, ammo
etc. The procedure was as follows: in the two week period between the
convoys the buses were at Schneller. During this time, the internal walls
and the roof cover were disassembled and the weapons stowed away.
The walls were then reassembled and the fastening screws expertly
painted over. Once on the mountain, the “kings lads” opened the
hidden compartments and removed the weaponry to a hiding place
within “Nikanor’s cave”, a natural cave in the botanical garden, and
other locales, including Hadassa and the chemistry building. The buses
were reassembled, the screws painted over, and the policemen leaving
with the buses were none the wiser. I assume a similar method was
employed with a water trailer occasionally brought to the mountain by
the UN. Another interesting story is that of a machine for making
barbed wire that was assembled on the mountain by URIEL HEFETZ
(Wikipedia).
54
Several completely disassembled Jeeps, armed with
recoilless guns were transported to the mountain
hidden in the double walls and roof of the buses.
On the mountain these were reassembled.
55
The buses at he weapons museum in Jaffa: The compartment
under the elevated double roof can be seen through a
transparent plastic panel. When inside the bus, you can see
the internal walls open and mines, rifles, machine guns,
bazookas and 81mm mortars stowed inside. There are also
Jeep parts and recoilless rifles.
There may have been other methods for transporting the
weapons, but these I have not discovered to this very day.
56
“Those were the days”…”When we were young” … “from atop Mount Scopus”
“Sometimes the party ends” (song titles) . Shalom and good bye.
comments and notes are welcomed at : naveh.uri@gmail.com
03-9362644 or 052-477160
Since the war everything changed.
Nothing remains of the bunkers, posts
and fortifications.
The mountain was built up as a huge
slab of stone, hiding its original,
beautiful, buildings. The national library
building has all but vanished.
New neighbourhoods were built, the
Hyatt Regency hotel dominates the entry
to the mountain.
And us? We grew older and our hair
grew grey.
The presentation is also hosted at Shimon
Zur’s website
57
.‫ שם במשלט ישבנו‬,‫"היו זמנים‬
.‫היו זמנים חלמנו ואהבנו‬
.‫עכשיו דבר אין להכיר‬
.‫על המשלט יושבת עיר‬
"‫אולי בזכות אותם זמנים‬