The historic Ammunition Hill war monument site in Jerusalem will not be shut down, Cabinet Secretary Tzvi Hauser told Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin Sunday.
Rivlin, who served as Intelligence Officer for the Jerusalem Brigade in the Six Day War and participated in the liberation of the hill, spoke to Hauser and said: "Ammunition Hill is one of the most important heritage symbols in Jerusalem's history, and it must not be closed to Israeli citizens just because of budgetary difficulties."
Hauser promised that a budgetary solution for supporting the site is in the offing, and that the site will not close down.
Ammunition Hill's management said Sunday, however, that despite encouraging statements by Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz, there has been no notification of any money being transferred for operation of the site. Therefore, as of 5 p.m. Monday, the site will close until the budget required for its operation is received.
Netanyahu said Sunday morning: "We owe much to our fighters. One of the things we owe them is to maintain the heritage of heroism, and that is why I spoke to the Finance Minister who expressed his feelings about this matter. Ammunition Hill will not close. We will find the budget for it. Ammunition Hill will go on operating."