Page 209 - ISRAEL'S CRADLE

detailed for the first time the monstrous scope of the massacres perpetrated by the Nazis and their accomplices. The newspapers were published with black frames and assemblies of mourning were held in the cities and settlements. The square in front of the National Institutions Building was again filled, this time due to a mass rally of mourning.
Two and a half years later, there was a reason to celebrate and thousands had again streamed to the square. This was on the occasion of the allies' victory over Nazi Germany. On May 9, 1945, celebratory rallies, marking the end of the war in Europe and the defeat of Nazi Germany, took place in every settlement. Jewish Jerusalem had truly lost itself. Thousands filled the streets and followed a large procession of members of youth movements, from Beitar to "HaShomer Hatzair," from Zion Square to the National Institutions Building. The courtyard there had been filled with people, with their flags and slogans, who occasionally danced the "Hora." The slogans read: "The People of Israel shall remember their fallen, shall not rest until it achieves its independence in its land" and "A Jewish state, free Aliya and revocation of the White Paper." These were joined by the Jewish school children of Jerusalem, who filled the streets adjacent to the courtyard of the National Institutions Building. A loudspeaker system played patriotic songs.
Several of the Yishuv leaders gathered on the second-floor balcony: Moshe Shertok, the Head of the Jewish Agency's Political Department, Dr. Avraham Katznelson and Rabbi Moshe Ostrovsky, members of the Executive of the Jewish National Council, Dr. Yaakov Tahon, Chairman of the Jerusalem Community and David Abulafia, President of the Sephardi Congregation of Jerusalem.
The statement of the Yishuv Leadership was presented by Yitzhak Ben-Zvi, Chairman of the Jewish National Council:
On this today we gathered here, we the residents of Jerusalem in their thousands, to celebrate the victory. We have gathered near the National Institutions, which are the instruments created by the People of Israel to bring about its redemption and the land's redemption. This day, the residents of Jerusalem have gathered to celebrate Victory Day, alongside all the Jewish Yishuv and the Jewish people, with all the freedom loving nations of the world. We too share in this victory and we too share in the victimhood to an unprecedented degree.
The large crowd responded to this with cheers, and Ben-Zvi finished by saying:
The testament to our share in the victory are our 30 thousand conscripted brothers and sisters who were conscripted [to the British Army] and who are still at the front. We demand the Aliya of the million who survived in Europe and the Jewish masses that live in the countries of the east. We shall not rest until our people's national liberty and sovereignty is restored so that we become a free people in control of our destiny.
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