Jerusalem of Gold

"Jerusalem of Gold" (Hebrew: ירושלים של זהב, Yerushalayim Shel Zahav) is an Israeli song written by Naomi Shemer.

Often contrasted to Israel's national anthem, Hatikva, the original song expressed the deep longing of many Jews to return to Jerusalem's Old City and eastern areas.

Following Israel's victory in the Six-Day War, Shemer added a final verse to commemorate the city's reunification under Israeli control and the restored Jewish access to its holy sites.

[citation needed] Shemer later acknowledged hearing Hendel perform Pello Joxepe in the 1960s, and had incorporated elements of its melody into Yerushalayim Shel Zahav.

[3] Although Shemer felt regret over the similarity, Ibáñez expressed no ill will, stating that he was pleased the melody had contributed in some way and did not view it as plagiarism.

Shemer was about to perform for a troop of paratroopers (who were not engaged in combat at the moment) when she received news that the Western Wall and Temple Mount had been taken by Israeli forces.

is the opening word of the Book of Lamentations, and its traditional Hebrew title; the phrase "the city that sits solitary" appears in the second stanza of the song.

This caused some controversy in Israel, as the song (which was written in 1967) is widely considered an informal anthem of the Israeli victory in the Six-Day War and has no relationship with the subject matter of the movie.

"A Walk to Caesarea"), which is universally associated with the Holocaust in Israel and was written by World War II resistance fighter Hannah Szenes in 1942.