Normalization in a war environment: The mandelbaum gate as an allegory in history and in literature

This article examines the Mandelbaum Gate, which delineated the border between Jerusalem’s two parts from 1948 to 1967, and which was the only open border crossing between Israel and Jordan. By employing both literary texts and historical documents, the article sheds light on the new reality that the border crossing created between the two states. While the historical sources reveal mainly the political aspects of the Mandelbaum Gate, the literary sources illustrate the mood of the people and the effects of the gate on the human soul. Together, the two different types of sources reveal the important role of the Mandelbaum Gate in the creation of relative normalization between two hostile states in a war environment.