“On this Yom Yerushalayim, or Jerusalem Day, we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the reunification of Jerusalem and affirm the city’s historical and irrefutable connections to Judaism.

“During the Six Day War in which the fledgling state of Israel defied all odds and defeated multiple enemies sworn to destroy Israel, the young Israeli soldiers fought their way through the Old City, fulfilling the two thousand years-old hope 'to be a free people in our land, the land of Zion and Jerusalem.'

“Today, we also take time to celebrate Jerusalem’s deep significance to the world’s three major monotheistic religions. Yom Yerushalayim is not only a momentous and celebratory day for Israelis and Jews around the world; it is a day to acknowledge that Jerusalem is open to all religions who hold the city as a holy place.

“This day should remind us that we must continue to work toward the goal of peace, with two states for two peoples, a Jewish democratic state of Israel living side by side in peace and security with a demilitarized Palestinian state.”