The Western Wall is a place of Jewish worship and has the most tourism in all of Israel. The Hebrew name for it is Kotel Maaravi. It is located in Jerusalem's Old City. Jerusalem is Israel's capital city. Jews who are Orthodox, Conservative, Reform and Reconstructionist mostly think the Kotel is special because 2000 years ago, it was part of the very big and holy Temple and is the only remaining part. Since the Temple was destroyed 2000 years ago, Jews lived in a diaspora scattered around the world and did not return to the Kotel until it became part of modern Israel in 1967.
2) What is the IDF?
The IDF is the Israeli Defense Forces and paratroopers are elite parachuters and fighting ground forces. The people who join them are really really smart and in very very good physical shape and are the best of the best athletes. It is voluntary to join the Paratroopers and very competitive to get in (1 in 5 applicants make it).
3) Why was the swearing-in ceremony for Paratroopers at the Western Wall?
In 1967, paratroopers parachuted into the Old City of Jersualem (then controlled by Jordan) and captured the city, then making it not just part of Israel but Israel's capital city. The Jordanians had been disrespectfully trashing and dumping their waste on the Kotel from 1948-1967. When the paratroopers tried to take the Old City, they were very careful not to bomb the place but instead did hand to hand combat. The reason they didn't just bomb it was because the Kotel Maarivi (Jews), Dome of the Rock and its minerets (Muslims), and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre (Christians) are very holy sites for different religions and they wanted to respect that. Many paratroopers died or were wounded because of this decision and that is that.
My videos are my eyes and ears this trip, so don't forget to watch them!
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