Once upon a time in Jerusalem,
And this time – the release of the Jewish captives
from Jordan during the War of Independence.
In the picture – the release of the elderly residents of the Jewish quarter from the Umm al-Jamal POW camp in Jordan, 1949.
During the War of Independence, about 700 Jews were taken prisoner in Jordan.
The captives were brought from several battles in and around Jerusalem-
About 320 prisoners from the Gush Etzion battles, at the beginning of May 1948,
290 civilians and about 50 fighters from the battles in the Jewish quarter, despite an explicit preliminary agreement with the Jordanian officer in charge, that only the fighters – would be taken prisoner, women, children and the wounded – were supposed to be released according to the agreement, but a Jordanian officer, Abdullah A-Tal, discovered that the Jewish settlement in the quarter was weak And with few fighters, the Jordanians violated the agreement and took all the citizens captive, at the end of May 1948.
Prisoners of Kibbutz Gezer, the Battle of Talpiot, Latron, and more,
and a total of about 700 prisoners who were gathered in the Umm Jamal camp in Jordan.
The camp was quickly established and the captives were housed in tents that held 10 people, the place was fenced off with wire fences and heavy security was placed on its occupants.
Each prisoner was given three blankets – one as a mattress and two to cover himself.
The captives received reasonable treatment from the Jordanian government, they were given autonomy in setting the agenda in the camp, and there were Israeli history classes, a Bible class, Hebrew language studies and more.
On the Jewish side, as with the Jews, there were tensions and exchanges between the captives –
The secular captives in front of the ultra-Orthodox, Etzel fighters and H’ashomer H’atzair members and young people who were at odds with the elders.
On June 7, 1948, the Jordanians released all the captive women except for 2 women who wanted to stay with the captives.
On November 30, an agreement was signed between Moshe Dayan and the volatile Jordanian officer Abdullah al-Tal for a truce in Jerusalem.
On the same day, 23 prisoners were released.
During the month of February 1949, all the prisoners who stayed in the camp were released in several batches, down to the last one.
The last group brought with them the Sefer Torah from the POW camp which was brought solemnly and with much ceremony to the Yeshuron Synagogue on Shmuel Hanagid Street.
Jordan is the only country that released all Israeli prisoners before the official talks on the cease-fire, further evidence of the special relationship that existed between King Abdullah I, and the Israeli government, a relationship that included secret meetings with the leaders of the Jewish community in the country before and immediately after the establishment of the state, where possibilities of cooperation were discussed between the countries and even peace between Jordan and Israel.
Word of the talks was leaked, the Arab League strongly opposed it, and the threat acted on the king who withdrew from reaching a peace agreement with Israel.
On July 20, 1951, King Abdullah I was assassinated by extremist Palestinian assassins who were rebelled by Haj Amin al-Husseini, the cursed Nazi-supporter, in the Old City of Jerusalem while he was about to pray in Al-Aqsa Mosque.
The king died from the gunshots on the spot, in front of the eyes of his grandson – later King Hussein.
After the murder, Abdullah’s son, Prince Talal, who suffered from schizophrenia and was hospitalized several times, was crowned king, until a year later his son, King Hussein, was crowned King of Jordan, when he was only 17 years old.
This is our Jerusalem,
700 prisoners who were held in relatively humane conditions and released, one brave Jordanian king who saw what was happening and wanted to establish neighborly and peaceful relations,
And the rural Arabs in the land, the “Palestinians”, who never missed an opportunity to miss an opportunity, always preferred the sword, the blood and the killing, and in fact to this very day condemned themselves and us to live in a continuous bloodbath.
May we all get to see our captives – the citizens and soldiers soon return to their homes healthy in body and soul,
And to the success and healing of the IDF soldiers and their return in peace and health.
Shabbat Shalom and peace to the far and near from Jerusalem.
The photographer is unknown.
