On our next-to-last day of bringing you Israelis’ memories from the 1967 Six-Day War, we look at letters written by Rona Hart, the woman whose remembrances we also shared yesterday. In these letters, Ms. Hart details the dread felt by Israelis, as well as their hopes and triumphs:
June 5th 1967
“Well, hostilities commenced today, and I don’t know how long this will take to get to England, if at all, but I hope so.
“…I already feel as if the war has been on for ever. The radio is playing “Shalom Aleichem” [3] Huh! So far I have felt calm, even with the bombing of Netanya which you will have heard of, and which we heard too.
“Maybe the UN will succeed in stopping it. I feel as if the Jews get bashed about in every generation and if this happens to be our turn then G-d help us! I hope He does… you should have seen the older members of the kibbutz. I wondered what they were remembering – getting out of Germany and working on the land here for over 20 years. My biggest worry is that you are worrying. This is how it is, these things happen, we just have to do the best under the circumstances…
June 6th 1967
“We just had the news that the Old City is in our hands! You should see the rejoicing – the radio is playing songs about Jerusalem.
“There is thankfulness, unbelief, and joy – tinged as it is with sorrow and worry…
“I hope there will be peace soon.”
