The Cats Square at the End of Hillel Street and the End of the War of Independence:
A Tale of ‘Once Upon a Time in Jerusalem’
In February 1949, military rule in Jerusalem officially came to an end. Earlier, in September 1948, Palestinian leaders, with Gaza as their capital, declared an independent state and expressed a desire to move their governmental offices to Jerusalem. However, these plans never materialized, and the residents of East Jerusalem continued to live under Jordanian rule.
With the end of military rule, the city’s borders were formally marked in negotiations between Moshe Dayan and Abdullah el-Tell, the commander of the Jordanian Legion.
The border was set west of the Old City and its ancient walls. Civilians were cautioned to avoid exposed areas near the border due to Jordanian snipers who hid within the walls of the Old City and abandoned houses, occasionally firing at passersby.
To protect the public, the newly formed Israel Defense Forces (IDF) installed barriers along the border to deter pedestrians. In the accompanying photo, a charred vehicle from the war stands as a grim reminder of the dangers from Jordanian snipers along Hillel Street.
The flat area behind the soldier in the photograph is now known as Cats Square, where large stones were once placed to prevent vehicles from crossing over from the Jordanian side. This route now curves right toward Independence Park.
Though 75 years have passed since those perilous times, today, the once-threatening presence of snipers exists only in memory.
Hillel Street continues along its path to the Mamilla intersection, and Cats Square remains flat and slightly less neglected.
The building on the left in the photo is now proudly occupied by the management of the Yigal Arnon Law Firm. The wall in front of the building has been demolished, and it now serves as a public parking lot, with hourly rates that make one nostalgic for the Jordanian rule.
To the right of Cats Square is the recently opened Museum of Tolerance, committed to fostering change based on shared universal values because the city has always been a city of dreamers.
To the left of the building on the left stood the famous Gili’s steakhouse for years, and to the left of Cats Square, in the adjacent historic building, a talented young chef from Jerusalem began his career.
From a young age, he’d been captivated by tomatoes, composing three-line poetic descriptions for dishes with just two ingredients—one of which was a tomato— drifting leisurely in an ocean of self-importance and prices that were extravagant for the time. He served ambassadors, consuls, and young politicians.
Only the cats—”hatulot” in Jerusalem slang—continue to meow in the square on cold winter nights.
Wishing a peaceful Shabbat to everyone, near and far from Jerusalem.
May the hostages return to their families after over 400 days in captivity, along with the IDF soldiers.
And may peace come to Israel.
Photographer – Unknown.
