Jerusalem Day
| Jerusalem Day | |
|---|---|
The Israeli Dance of Flags at Jaffa Road, 2007 | |
| Official name | יום ירושלים (Yom Yerushaláyim) |
| Observed by | Israelis |
| Type | National |
| Significance | Marks the reunification of East Jerusalem with West Jerusalem under Israel; the first time the whole city came under Jewish rule since the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE during the Jewish–Roman wars |
| Celebrations | Dance of Flags |
| Date | 28 Iyar (Hebrew calendar) |
| 2025 date | Sunset, 25 May – nightfall, 26 May |
| 2026 date | Sunset, 14 May – nightfall, 15 May |
| 2027 date | Sunset, 3 June – nightfall, 4 June |
| 2028 date | Sunset, 23 May – nightfall, 24 May |
| Frequency | Annual |
| First time | 12 May 1968 |
| Part of a series on |
| Jerusalem |
|---|
Jerusalem Day (Hebrew: יום ירושלים, Yom Yerushaláyim) is an Israeli national holiday that commemorates the "reunification" of East Jerusalem (including the Old City) with West Jerusalem following the Six-Day War of 1967, which saw Israel occupy East Jerusalem and the West Bank, effectively annexing the former. It is celebrated annually on 28 Iyar on the Hebrew calendar, and is marked officially throughout Israel with state ceremonies and memorial services.
A notable celebration that marks the holiday is a flag-flying parade known as the Dance of Flags. In recent years, there have been anti-Palestinian chants of in these parades, including "death to Arabs," "May Your Village Burn," and others. The parade involves flag-bearers marching through the city streets, accompanied by mobile orchestras on trucks playing Hasidic songs. The Chief Rabbinate of Israel declared Jerusalem Day to be a minor religious holiday, as it marks the regaining for Jewish people of access to the Western Wall.