Old City bathed in blue and white ahead of Jerusalem Day

It's the start of a busy week for the holy city, which is also bedecked in US flags as the country gears up to host President Trump

By ToI Staff 21 May 2017, 12:33 am
An audio slideshow is projected on the ancient walls of Jerusalem's Old City on May 20, 2017, on the beginning of the week marking the 50th anniversary of the 1967 Israeli-Arab War. ( AFP PHOTO / GALI TIBBON)
People watch an audio slideshow projected on the ancient walls of Jerusalem's Old City on May 20, 2017, on the beginning of the week marking the 50th anniversary of the 1967 Six Day War. (AFP PHOTO / GALI TIBBON)
People watch on May 20, 2017, the iconic photo taken by David Rubinger of Israeli paratroopers standing next to the Western Wall on June 1967 during an audio slideshow projected on the ancient walls of Jerusalem's Old City on the beginning of the week marking the 50th anniversary of the 1967 Israeli-Arab War. (AFP PHOTO / GALI TIBBON)
An audio slideshow is projected on the ancient walls of Jerusalem's Old City on May 20, 2017, on the beginning of the week marking the 50th anniversary of the 1967 Six Day War. (AFP Photo/Gali Tibbon)

The walls of the Old City of Jerusalem were bathed in the blue and white of the Israeli flag on Saturday night, as Israel entered a week of celebrations marking the 50th anniversary of the reunification of the city.

The eve of May 23 marks the beginning of Jerusalem Day, which commemorates that capture of East Jerusalem in the 1967 Six Day War, reuniting the city and bringing the Temple Mount and Western Wall back under Jewish control.

During Saturday night’s event, a sound and light show was projected onto the walls of the Old City, including the Israeli flag and iconic images from the war.

It’s the start of a busy week for the city, which is also bedecked in American flags as the country gears up to host US President Donald Trump, who is due on Monday.

People watch on May 20, 2017, the iconic photo taken by David Rubinger of Israeli paratroopers standing next to the Western Wall on June 1967 during an audio slideshow projected on the ancient walls of Jerusalem’s Old City on the beginning of the week marking the 50th anniversary of the 1967 Israeli-Arab War. (AFP PHOTO / GALI TIBBON)

There was hope that Trump might announce the moving of the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, or recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, during the visit, but recent indications point to him not fulfilling his campaign promises in en effort to get peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians back on track.

The Palestinians want the eastern part of the city as the capital of a future state.

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