The Mount Scopus Story My Personal Six Day

The Mount Scopus Story & My Personal Six Day War Story. At the end of the Six Day war, Mordechai Gilat wrote a history of Mount Scopus. Starting with the establishment of the Hebrew University, through the HADASA convoy massacre in 1948, the existence as an isolated enclave, cut off from the state of Israel and held by 120 "policemen" for 19 years, it ends with the mountain in the Six Day war. I was partook in the final days of the story as a young reserve officer, aged 23, posing as a policeman. Today I am 66 years old. Almost every year, on “Jerusalem day”, I go up to the mountain with family or friends to tell this never ending story. Read this story carefully you will be learn a forgotten legend. 1

The Establishment of the Hebrew University and the start of the Mount Scopus Story in the 20 th century • In 1914, Dr. Arthur Ruppin, then the manager of the Palestine Office of the World Zionist Organization, purchased an estate on Mount Scopus belonging to Sir John Gray. Hill, an English lawyer. The acquisition was carried out through an obscure Russian Jewish philanthropist, Issac Leib Goldberg, who the donated the estate to the WZO. • The purchase was made in order to realize the vision of the establishment of a “school of learning, wisdom and labour in the land of Israel” as put forth by Professor Shapiro at first zionist congress Basel, 1897. • In 1918, in the presence of General Allenby, 13 cornerstones for the 2 Hebrew university were laid down.

Present at the ceremony, seen here standing near DR. Chaim Weizman, was the Mufti of Jerusalem, Camal Amin Al-Husseini. What was he doing there? 3

On April 1 st, 1925, the official ceremony marking the opening of the university was held on the mountain. Partaking in the celebrations were 5000 people, young and old, men women and children, all having “climbed the mountain before dawn”. When the elderly Earl of Balfour ascended the raised platform “a long round of applause burst forth from the crowd”. Also on the platform were Herbert Samuel, the High Commissioner for Palestine, DR. CHAIM WIEZMAN, Nahum Sokolow and the authors Hayim Nahman Bialik and Achad Ha'am (Asher Ginsberg). Chief rabbi Abraham Isaac Cook delivered his "Mount Scopus speech" 4

The two main unique sites of the university were: The amphitheater facing the Judean desert and the dead sea, and the national library facing the temple mount. 5

In 1939 the Hadassah Hospital was established, making Mount Scopus “a spiritual and medical ” compound without peer in the Middle East. 6

The connection between west Jerusalem and the university and Hadassah was maintained by bus route # 9 of the "hamekasher“ bus company. The during the Arab rebellion the compound was designated as an independent Haganah district (district No. 11). The physics complex became a Haganah training base and an underground shooting range for the Haganah units in the Jerusalem. 7

Before the U. N declaration (1947) unarmored “Hamekasher” buses traveled in convoys to the mountain. A convoy to Mount Scopus 8

Until March 4 th 1948, the British provided escort to the unarmored bus convoys. From that date on, the responsibility for convoy security was transferred to the Haganah. 9 British police escorting a convoy to Mount Scopus

Following the U. N. resolution adopting the “partition plan for Palestine” the mountain came under siege. University and hospital staff, assisted by a Haganah force, fortified the mountain, fenced it, lay minefields around it and maintained a guard routine of the compound and its installations. Most of the hospital’s equipment, and the university, complete with labs and libraries, was transported to western Jerusalem in truck convoy escorted by armored cars. These same convoys also served to periodically replace those on the mountain – fighters as well as university and hospital personnel. One of the convoys- the Hadassah convoy – transporting doctors and nurses to the mountain, was attacked by Arabs. 79 people were killed. (Full story on next slide) 10

The Hadassah convoy massacre The security of the mountain began to deteriorate early in 1948. One Hadassah bus was ambushed, 10 passengers were wounded and the evacuation of the hospital and university to the western city was accelerated. Following the April 8 th killing of Abd al-Qadir al-Husayni at the “Castel” and the April 9 th "Etzel" led operation at Deir Yassin, an Arab revenge attack was organized targeting the medical staff convoy to mount Scopus scheduled for April 13 th. This was one month before the Israeli declaration of independence. In the attack 79 doctors, nurses and hospital personell were killed, many of them burned alive in the vehicles. The attack lasted 7 hours. Many British soldiers, including those on patrol nearby, witnessed the attack unfold. Despite calls for help by the Haganah and the screams of those burned alive, the British refused to intervene until late in the afternoon when little remained but charred vehicles. One wounded survivor, Dr. Matot, managed to crawl a few tens of meters to the “Antonius house”, the H. Q. of a British army company. His detailed account of events can be found in book about Mount Scopus shown in slide 1. 11

A map of the area travelled by the convoys, through Sheikh Jarrah, to Mount Scopus. The Hadassah convoy was attacked near the “Tomb of Shimon the Just”.

A tactical sketch of the attack on the convoy 13

The “small ambulance” and one (two? ) of the victims 14

The memorial plaque with the names of the Hadassah convoy victims in Sheikh Jarrah 15

At the start of the war of independence the Jordanians try to conquer the mountain. An armored Jordanian force reached the “British cemetery” gate. Two of the defenders, Moerdechai Rap And Tuvia Rotshtein, fired anti tank rifles at the lead vehicle and set it ablaze. The other vehicles turned back and withdrew. The Jordanian radio reported the conquest of the mountain, causing anxiety in Jerusalem and great concern for the fate of the defenders. A similar report was broadcast by the Jordanians during the Six Day War. During the intervening years, several other incidents occurred when the patrols around the mountain’s perimeter were fired upon; several soldiers were hit. One notable incident involved the injury of a U. N. colonel called Flint. Detailed accounts can be found in Moerdechai Gilat's book. 16

The Mount Scopus enclave On the day Israel declared its independence, 14 th May 1948, the Jordanian legion seized Sheikh Jarrah and cut off Mount Scopus from Jerusalem. The mountain became a Jewish enclave in an Arab controlled area. The postwar ceasefire agreement allowed Israel to keep 120 policemen on the mountain and the Jordanians to keep 46 policemen at the “Augusta Victoria” 17

A map of the Israeli Mount Scopus enclave, and the Jordanian Augusta Victoria enclave, separated by no man’s land. The Israeli and the Jordanian/U. N. version s are shown – the latter prevailed. H. U. J. I. nd No ’s la n a m Augusta Victoria Hospital 18 Israeli version Jordanian /U. N. version

In accordance with the terms of the ceasefire agreement, armoured convoys carrying policemen and food went to the mountain once a fortnight. Each convoy brought 60 policemen for one month’s stay. In this manner, half the force was replaced each fortnight while the other half would overlap with the fresh force. The same armoured buses from 1948 were used until 1967. The policemen would board at the Mandelbaum checkpoint following a strict and degrading inspection of their person and kit by the Jordanian legionaries. The inspection of the supplies often included bayoneting of the foodstuffs. The buses were escorted by two Jordanian and two UN jeeps. One armed legionary was aboard each bus. The policemen, unarmed, were instructed that in case the convoy was attacked they should snatch the legionary’s weapon for self defence. An absurd solution. 19

The armory at the physics building was for the “permitted” weapons, outdated British rifles and Bren guns from 1948. Whenever a UN inspection was expected we would hide the IDF issue weapons that were smuggled to the mountain, and present ourselves with the British weaponry. 20

Just as the weapons were fake, so were the policemen – actually they were IDF soldiers in disguise. The officer’s hat was replaced by a policeman’s. This is how I reached the mountain and was there during the Six Day War, and , being a member of the last group that went to the mountain – won a policeman’s hat for a souvenir. 21

How was IDF weaponry smuggled to the mountain? How did mortars, shells, anti-tank mines, even jeeps carrying recoilless rifles arrive on the mountain? We, IDF reservists serving on the mountain, never knew how the weapons got there. The only ones who did were the commander, nicknamed “king of the mountain” and 20 young military intelligence men, called “the king’s lads”. They protected the secret zealously. It seems to me it was the best kept secret in Israel, more so than the reactor at Dimona. At night, they would wake up us officers, and lead us to the DMZ outside the compound. We were sent to fetch heavy loads of weapons and ammo that were smuggled to the mountain , so we were told, by Arab collaborators and by Sayeret Matkal “flour convoys”, from west Jerusalem. One night I was sent with another officer to the eastern slopes of the mountain, where we found and brought in a very heavy, sealed, milk jug. The soldiers on duty in that sector were instructed to move away so they will not be exposed to the 22“great secret” (Continued on next slide)

On the following night I was taken to the north side of the compound, to the fence between the Hadassa hospital and the British cemetery (see image). I was sent to find a large bag next to the 32 nd tombstone on row 7. I returned sweating heavily from the load, but mostly from fear. The load was then carted away by the king’s lads to some secret hideaway. Two weeks later we were woken up again, to be led blindfolded through some tunnels, we could hear music in Arabic. We were told that we are crossing to western Jerusalem through a tunnel under Wadi Joz. We were finally allowed to remove the blindfolds in some sealed room - to find a table laid out for a feast. Behind the table was a large stack of closed bags, open ammo boxes filled 23 with stones and metal parts, all topped by a skull. These were the loads we carried at night. The king’s lads stood there giggling - at us.

On that occasion we signed a irrevocable pledge not to reveal any of the mountain’s secrets, to soldiers family or friends. We added our signatures to “the Wadi Joz Scroll” where all the officers who served before us on the mountain had signed. Well, how was the weaponry really smuggled? I only learned the answer many years after the war. All you have to do is read on. 24

The “mountain king” and his lads belonged to a military intelligence unit established in 1956 for operating the "police force” on Mount Scopus. It was called "matzof 247" Between 1948 and 1956, prior to the establishment of Matzof 247, the defense of Mount Scopus was assigned to a two company force. Once a fortnight, a fresh company would arrive, aboard the allowed convoys, for a four week tour of duty. The CO of the “veteran” company would command the mountain with the CO of the “fresh” company as his deputy. The buses only stayed 2 hours before retuning with the company being relieved. The mountain had no permanent command administration, no one responsible for long term planning and ongoing management of logistics and operations. There were no effective procedures and no continuity of intelligence and operations. These conditions were difficult for the command. These are the reasons that led to the establishment of the “Matzof” unit, commanded by a career officer, the “king” and consisting of 20 regular service soldiers from military intelligence. They managed the mountain continuously, transported the “illegal” weapons, and prepared the mountain for an eventual war. The story of this unit, from establishment, as told by one of the “kings lads”, Aryeh Shinper, I keep in a separate directory, and is not included the attachments to the slideshow. 25

The emblem of the Military Intelligence unit " matzof 247 " - of Mount Scopus 26

Mount Scopus in the six days war 35 days before the war I was called for … 35 days of reserve service. After days of preparations at Camp Schneler army base in Jerusalem, we boarded the armoured buses dressed as policemen. The convoy to the mountain was escorted by U. N. and Jordanian Legion jeeps. 27

We reached the mountain two weeks before "independence day" and after being updated by the departing force we took responsibility for half of the posts on the mountain. For the first two weeks I was in command of the “road post” which included the “Magnus Building”, “Rosenblum” and the road block on the road to Augusta Victoria. From this post one could see all of eastern Jerusalem, as if someone placed it in the palm of your hand. The bottommost building in this image is the “broadcasting building” 28

Independence Day, 15 th May 1967 and the military parade • To mark its 19 th independence day, Israel planned an impressive military parade in Jerusalem and a state ceremony at the amphitheater of the Givat Ram campus of the Hebrew University. • Egyptian president Gamal Abdul Nasser was mislead by the soviets to believe that Israel was amassing military forces near border with Syria, with whom Egypt had a mutual defence agreement. Nasser used the military parade as a Casus Belli, stating that Israel has broken the ceasefire agreement with Jordan by staging a military parade in Jerusalem. The day after the parade he mobilised his army, through Cairo, and into the Sinai. • On the evening of the parade, I as on the mountain. With my platoon we held a ceremony of our own. Opposite the temple mount we raised a huge fire sign “Shalom Jerusalem”. • I had been warned by the “king of the mountain” not to cause a provocation. I ignored his warning though. 29

This was the view of Jerusalem and the temple mount from where we held our ceremony at the front of the national library. While we stood there we could hear the singing, by the thousands of people at the state ceremony, of the song: “From atop the crest of Mount Scopus – Shalom to you Jerusalem”. We joined the singing, tears in our eyes, and lit the fire sign: “shalom Jerusalem”. 30

This is the view today, from atop the crest of Mount Scopus, almost the same angle. Once can see the old city and the temple mount. 31

From atop the crest of Mount Scopus – Shalom to you Jerusalem Avigdor Hameiri’s wonderful song. Literal translation – not lyric. From atop the crest of Mount Scopus I bow down to thee, Jerusalem. From atop the crest of Mount Scopus Shalom to thee, Jerusalem. For a hundred generations I have dreamed of you, To be granted, to behold, the light of your face. Jerusalem, Light up your face to your Son. Jerusalem, From your ruins I shall rebuild thee. 33

From atop the crest of Mount Scopus – Shalom to you Jerusalem Avigdor Hameiri’s wonderful song. Literal translation – not lyric. From atop the crest of Mount Scopus Shalom to thee, Jerusalem. Thousands of exiles from the ends of the earth To you raise up their eyes. Be blessed by thousands of blessings. King’s temple, royal city. Jerusalem, I shall not move from here. Jerusalem, The Messiah will come, will come. 34

King Hussein joins the Egypt – Syria axis, against Israel. The fortification of Mount Scopus The Egyptian army took up positions on the Israeli border. The people of Israel were mobilised , for active military duty and for digging in (civil defense), in towns far from the front. A week later, King Hussein went to Egypt and was persuaded by Nasser to join the military action against Israel. The following day, upon his return to Jordan, his army went into motion, advancing from the east bank of the Jordan, though the Ma’aleh Adumim ridge to Jerusalem. Jordanian infantry, armor and artillery took up positions around Mount Scopus and the city. Mortars and anti-tank recoilless guns were positioned atop the temple mount; trucks roamed east Jerusalem carrying ecstatic soldiers shouting “Allah Hu Akbar”. We huddled anxiously in our trenches and spent the nights laying minefields, surrounding the mountain with barbed wire , strengthening fortifications, digging communications trenches between the various posts and preparing for perimeter defence. Our stated mission: Hold the mountain for 24 hours, until the IDF arrives. 35

A reshuffle of posts and sectors in the lead up to war One week before the war we had a reshuffle of forces and posts on the mountain. I moved with my platoon to the “physics” post (east of “road post”), overlooking Augusta Victoria, Ma’aleh Adumim and the “slaughterhouse sector” – Issawiah. The sector included the physics building and the amphitheatre. My position at “road” was taken by Meir Sinai. “Sport” was commanded by Avi Levi. Company C. O. Shaki served as deputy to the king as was awarded the title “president”. Our “formal” positions were placed on the buildings. These actaully served only as observation posts as they were easily seen from the Jordanian side. We built our battle positions among the pines on the slopes of the mountain, hidden by vegetation and camouflage nets. Above the dugouts we placed wooden logs and covered these with sand bags, following general Panfilov (from “Volokolamsk Highway”). 36

The amphitheater facing the Dead Sea and the physics building. Atop each is an “observation post”. Bottom image: a “fighting post” facing the Arab village Al-Issawiya. 37

The physics building and its abandoned laboratories tell the sad story of the university. After a visit to one of these labs I wrote in the post’s log book “would that I be granted to redeem this place from its desolation”. An unwitting prophecy. 38

The fighting on the mountain in the six days’ war At 08: 00 on June 5 th the war started on the Egyptian front. The Jordanians vacillated until the false boasting from Cairo (radio) convinced them to join the fighting. At 10: 00 sirens were heard from Jerusalem and direct fire erupted from Augusta Victoria, aimed at the “road” and “physics” posts. The intensity of the fire increased and was accompanied by heavy mortar shelling of the mountain. Our mortars returned fire. From my vantage point I was able to locate and range the two 120 mm mortars that were firing from “the slaughterhouse” on the mountain and on Jerusalem. Using coordinates and angle of sight data I passed to Israel Zindorf, the artillery officer, heavy mortars fired from Jerusalem at the Jordanian batteries and they cease firing. Meanwhile the Hadassa sector came under heavy fire from the “French Hill”. Our visible, “observation posts” were destroyed by Jordanian fire. The on top of the physics building was hardest hit as we placed an old pipe there that looked like a mortar. My machine gunner, a fearless warrior called Moshe Greenshtein, fired 13 thousand rounds until his guns’ barrel overheated and disintegrated. After dark we sighted the movement of armoured forces from Ma’aleh Adumim towards Jeruslaem. Vautour attack aircraft were launched, and with the aid of illumination rounds, identified and destroyed they Jordanian 60 th armoured brigade. That day the Jordanian radio announced that Mount Scopus has fallen and most of its men captured. My wife calmed her family saying: “that’s impossible because Uri is there. ” Until that moment only she new the secret – my whereabouts. 39

Paratroops’ action in Jerusalem & breaching the Mt’ Scopus enclave. On the morning of June 6 th, the 2 nd day of the war, the paratroop brigade attacked east Jerusalem. The attack lost momentum after encountering strong opposition at "ammunition hill" and taking heavy casualties. The fighters sticks to goal set by their commanders: “liberate Mount Scopus". After the heroic, bloody battle at "ammunition hill", and after another regiment took the road and the Rockefeller museum, the paratroops prepared to take Mount Scopus. The road was actually open but heavy fire persisted in the area. At noon a jeep escorted by a halftrack arrived at the mountain. Amazingly, the occupants of the jeep were non other than MOSHE DAYAN - the defence minister, general UZI NARKIS – C. O. “central command”, and general GHANDI (Zeevi). The arrival of paratroop force at the mountain was postponed due the sighting of a new Jordanian force coming in from the east, and due to grave navigational error by the armored support force tasked with reaching the mountain through the “A Tur – Rockefeller” road. In the dark, this force went off course, reached “Lions’ Gate” and came under attack by recoilless guns positioned atop the walls of the temple mount. The force suffered losses in men and armor. Consequently, only the morning of the June 7 th did the paratroops reach the mountain, from the north, en route to take Augusta Victoria. 40

JUNE 6 th, noon. While the fire is still raging, Moshe Dayan, Uzi Narkis and Ghandi arrive on the mountain. Accompanying is the "king" of the mountain 41

Capturing AUGUSTA VICTORIA On the morning of June 7 th, the 3 rd day of the war, the paratroopers arrived at the mountain, followed closely by an armored force from 10 th brigade. The armored force that went from Latrun to Ramallah encircled Jerusalem from the north and forced enemy armor to retreat towards the Judean desert and Jericho. The armored force advancing on Augusta Victoria did not heed our warnings about landmines and three tanks were hit by our own mines. After “target softening” by mortar fire, Napalm was dropped by our Ouragans on the Augusta Victoria targets. The entire fortified compound burst into flames. The wind drove the fire in our direction and several positions at the Phsyics post were burned. I tried to rescue some ammunition and hand grenades but was choked by the smoke. My men extracted me through the firing hatch of one of the positions, only half conscious. One of our aircraft was shot down by the Jordanians and hit the ground near the MAR ELIAS monastery on the way to BEIT LECHEM. During the storming of Augusta Victoria GIORA ASHKENAZY, the c. o. of D company of the paratroop regiment was hit and killed. He was from kibbutz NIR DAVID. (His memory lives on in the book “a lad grew on the banks of the Assi”. ) The command was passed to MICA HORIN from my kibbutz, TIRAT ZVI. He pressed on the attack to its successful end. As the fighting ended I took a big flag and, accompanied by one other soldier, ran to the bell tower of the church and flew the flag from its top. The Jordanian response was well aimed fire from A-Tur. We lay down, our backs to the inner wall of the bell tower, and pushed the bell with our legs till it tolled loudly, its music augmented by the bullets striking it as it rang. 42 That ringing continues in my ears whenever I think of the occasion.

A Dassault Ouragan support aircraft drops Napalm on" Augusta"

Visit of Yizhak Rabin, IDF chief of staff, to the mountain after it’s liberation. Front row, left to right, Uzi Narkis, Yizkak Rabin, The “mountain king” Shrepmann, General Hertzog , and me (right hand side). 44

The liberation of old city, the victory parade and the memorial ceremony at the amphitheater on Mount Scopus The paratroops continued their thrust towards the mount of olives. From there , accompanied by armor from 10 th brigade, they swept down towards the Lions’ Gate, and broke into the city. Motta Gur’s call to his driver “Go Ben Zur GO” became the stuff of legends. His Halftrack broke down the door of the Lions Gate and immediately turned left to the temple mount. The mountain was stormed and the Israeli flag was flown there. Rabbi Goren sounded a SHOFAR and the rest is history. Atop the temple mount the paratroop brigade held a victory parade, and the following day all went up to the Amphitheatre on Mount Scopus for a gathering to commemorate the fallen and mark the end of the fighting in the newly united Jerusalem. 45

The liberation of old city, the victory parade and the memorial ceremony at the amphitheater on Mount Scopus We sat there in awe, facing the Judean desert gradually turning red with the setting sun. On to the platform came one of the paratroopers, Meir Ariel, later known as “the singing paratrooper” and sang “Jerusalem of Gold” using new and painful lyrics. We did not know the original, having been out of contact with civilians for over a month. We did not know of the song festival held the night after independence day, or of the song specially written and composed by Naomi Shemer for the event and performed by Shuli Natan. Meir Ariel changed the lyrics. When he sang “Jerusalem of iron and lead and darkness, thy walls we have liberated” his fellow paratroopers wept and my heart missed a beat. 46

Humour – No comments: Before leaving the mountain I photographed a few wall drawings made by one of the soldiers that was stationed there before me. Before taking this phtograph I chalked up the words: “farewell, not ‘see you again’” 49

On Mount Scopus stood the frame of a building. We called it “the unfinished house”. A similar building stood at the entrance to Al. Issawiyah, we called that one “the house that will never be finished”. After the war the “unfinished house” was completed – as a students dorm. 50

When Mount Scopus was liberated, the armoured busses were placed on the mountain, next to the “national museum” as unwanted scrap. They were later moved to the cemetery. 51

“The king is dead’ – “ long live the king” 52

The guns went silent. The garrison dispersed. Menachem, the “king of the mountain” mourned his lost kingdom and was sent to command the “Solomon” region in the Sinai. Before leaving the mountain by bus, Egged route 9 to Schenlller, I set an inspection, burning any “spoils of war”. From Schenlller we went to our brigade HQ Near Nablus. We then ranged the newly liberated land of Israel: visiting mounts Grizim and Eival, Sebastia, the temple mount (where we saw the foundation stone) and even the Mar Sava monastery in the Judean desert. Yep that kid is me. 53

Solving the riddle – the secret method used to supply arms to Mount Scopus Ten years ago I visited the army weapons museum in Jaffa. I was surprised to find, among other armoured vehicles, the two buses used to bring the “policemen” to the mountain every fortnight. The buses revealed the secret. The roof and walls of the buses were double walled and served as hidden compartments for mines, jeep parts, rifles, ammo etc. The procedure was as follows: in the two week period between the convoys the buses were at Schneller. During this time, the internal walls and the roof cover were disassembled and the weapons stowed away. The walls were then reassembled and the fastening screws expertly painted over. Once on the mountain, the “kings lads” opened the hidden compartments and removed the weaponry to a hiding place within “Nikanor’s cave”, a natural cave in the botanical garden, and other locales, including Hadassa and the chemistry building. The buses were reassembled, the screws painted over, and the policemen leaving with the buses were none the wiser. I assume a similar method was employed with a water trailer occasionally brought to the mountain by the UN. Another interesting story is that of a machine for making barbed wire that was assembled on the mountain by URIEL HEFETZ (Wikipedia). 54

Several completely disassembled Jeeps, armed with recoilless guns were transported to the mountain hidden in the double walls and roof of the buses. On the mountain these were reassembled. 55

The buses at he weapons museum in Jaffa: The compartment under the elevated double roof can be seen through a transparent plastic panel. When inside the bus, you can see the internal walls open and mines, rifles, machine guns, bazookas and 81 mm mortars stowed inside. There also Jeep parts and recoilless rifles. There may have been other methods for transporting the weapons, but these I have not discovered to this very day. 56

“Those were the days”…”When we were young” … “from atop Mount Scopus” “Sometimes the party ends” (song titles). Shalom and good bye. comments and notes are welcomed at : naveh. uri@gmail. com 03 -9362644 or 052 -477160 Since the war everything changed. Nothing remains of the bunkers, posts and fortifications. The mountain was built up as a huge slab of stone, hiding its original, beautiful, buildings. The national library building has all but vanished. New neighbourhoods were built, the Hyatt Regency hotel dominates the entry to the mountain. And us? We grew older and our hair grew grey. The presentation is also hosted at Shimon Zur’s website 57 . שם במשלט ישבנו , "היו זמנים חלמנו ואהבנו . עכשיו דבר אין להכיר . על המשלט יושבת עיר " אולי בזכות אותם זמנים