(IsraelNN.com)

Israel and world Jewry celebrate the 40th anniversary of Jerusalem's unification in the Six Day War this week. The European Union plans to boycott.

Though Jerusalem Day is celebrated on the 28th day of the Jewish month of Iyar, which falls this year on Wednesday, May 16, the celebrations will take place all week.  The government's weekly Cabinet session today (Sunday) will be largely dedicated to Jerusalem, as will a special Knesset session tomorrow, which will be followed by a musical festival featuring Avihu Medina, Shuli Natan and others.

The walls of the Old City will be lit up in a unique manner, as will the streets, overpasses and central sites.  On Sunday night, Jerusalem Mayor Uri Lupoliansky and Tourism Minister Yitzchak Aharonvitch will switch on the lights from atop the King David Hotel, creating a blue and white outline-in-light of the Old City walls that will be able to be seen from afar.

On Tuesday evening, some 10,000 people are expected to take part in a farmers' parade, which will feature exhibits, floats, tractors, bands, dancers and even acrobats.

Also Tuesday evening, beginning at 7 PM, actors from the Jerusalem street theater "Virtuoso" will enact scenes from the period of the establishment of the State.  Interspersed with their acts will be circus tricks of various kinds, musicians, drummers' circles, dancers and field games.  A giant park festival will conclude the evening.

Asked about the lack of religious-oriented municipal festivities, Deputy Mayor Yehoshua Pollack told Arutz-7, "the religious public celebrates in the syngagogues and Torah study halls."

Traditional Merkaz HaRav Kook Celebration
On Tuesday night, the central religious-thanksgiving celebration will be held in Yeshivat Merkaz HaRav Kook in the Kiryat Moshe neighborhood. Leading politicians such as the Prime Minister often participated, but of late, secular politicians have not been invited.  It is not yet clear what the plans are for this year.

On Wednesday, thousands of youngsters and others will march in the now-traditional Rikudgalim (Flag Dance) March, from downtown Jerusalem to the Western Wall. Roads in the capital will be closed as the marchers advance towards the Old City. In addition, a marathon of musicians in various locations and short Maaleh Film School movies will occupy much of Wednesday.  Admission will be free to the Israel Museum, the Science Museum and other sites.

On Wednesday night, a main event featuring the Paratroopers Brigade that liberated the Old City will be held at Sultan's Pool.  Thursday will see a "Tour de Jerusalem" bicycle event, as well as an afternoon of "cycling" at Kibbutz Ramat Rachel in the southern part of the city.

Putting a slight damper on the festivities, even if not unexpected, is the European Union's boycott. German's Ambassador to Israel has informed the Knesset that the European Union plans to boycott all Jerusalem Day celebrations, including the special Knesset session.  He explained that the EU cannot take part in an event that implies recognition of the current borders of Jerusalem.

Despite this, some 20 ambassadors from around the world have said that they will take part, and some EU ambassadors have hinted that they might participate as well.