Fifty years after the liberation of the Old City of Jerusalem and the Temple Mount and Western Wall from Jordanian occupation by IDF paratrooper units during the 1967 Six Day War, a special swearing-in ceremony was held Thursday night at the Western Wall Plaza for 30 new haredi paratroopers.
The ceremony is the second conducted by the “Hetz” (Haredim Tzanhanim) project, and marks a significant milestone in the integration of haredim into IDF combat units.
Paratrooper Brigade chief Colonel Nimrod Aloni took part in Thursday’s ceremony, along with IDF Chief Rabbi Eyal Karim, and rabbis of the Netzach Yehuda organization who provided religious guidance to the soldiers throughout their training.
“Fifty years ago IDF soldiers liberated the Old City, and the Paratrooper Brigade was at the forefront of that decisive battle,” a statement by Netzach Yehuda read. Today we are witnessing a historic step: within the brigade there is a haredi company that is operating and thriving just one year after it was founded. The haredi paratrooper company is continuing the tradition of integration, as is the tradition of the Netzach Yehuda legion.”