Road to Jerusalem

High above the ancient shrine of three faiths, a Zionist banner proclaimed: "Our feet shall stand within thy gates, O Jerusalem." In the flag-decked streets below. Jewish youths danced the Hora. It was a day of triumph in the city which, for centuries of their exile, has been the symbol of the Jews' lost homeland.

Although last year's United Nations resolution demanded that Jerusalem be made an international city, the Israelis pointedly chose it for the opening ceremony of their newly elected Constituent Assembly. Dr. Chaim Weizmann, Zionism's elder statesman, last week solemnly opened the Assembly. When the band struck up Hatikvah (the Israeli national anthem) during the ceremonies, the tired old (74) man seemed off in a dream; a military aide had to nudge him before he came to life again. Facing the Assembly, he wept. Said he: "It is our people that once gave the whole world a spiritual message fundamental to civilization . . . The world is listening to hear whether a new message will go forth from Zion . . ."

In the age of Ezra and Nehemiah, more than two thousand years ago, the Jews had had their Knesset Hagdola (Great Assembly). The members of its soth Century successor decided also to call it the Knesset. But what should they call themselves? Should they use the ancient word ish (man)? A spokesman for the orthodox Jews objected: "Let's leave that alone until we restore our past glories." They finally chose the word haver, which is colloquial Hebrew for "pal."

There was early discord among the pals. Menachim Beigin's ultra-nationalist Freedom Movement refused to be called a right-wing party, ignored its allotment of seats on the chamber's extreme right, and stubbornly sat down on the left. The Communists objected to the seating of their own backslid deputy, Eliezer Preminger, who, they claimed, had been purged for 1) robbing a bank, and 2) planning secession from the party. The Assembly ignored the Communist protests and seated Pal Preminger.

Three days later, the Knesset elected Chaim Weizmann Israel's first President (so far, his office has been provisional). He was given a ten-inch silver key to the city and a pair of 17th Century scissors to cut the ceremonial ribbon across the road leading to Jerusalem. For Weizmann, as for his Zionists, it had been a long road.

At noon, two pious Jews chosen by the rabbinate blew the shofar (ram's horn). Weizmann repeated the presidential oath with arm outstretched toward the Assembly, which rose on signal and shouted,

"Long live the President!" For the first time in two millennia, the traditional benediction for a Jewish head of state was pronounced, by a white-bearded rabbi: "Blessed be our Father in heaven Who has shared His glory with His faithful."

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