Israel began its 76th Independence Day celebrations on Monday night while it remains at war, seeking to eliminate Hamas terrorists who carried out the brutal Oct. 7 attack that killed about 1,200 people. .
Yam Hazikaron (Memorial Day) has ended and Israel’s Independence Day has begun. Kotal (Wailing Wall), a place of celebration and prayer for the Jewish state pic.twitter.com/agKhA6Qjyq
— Raylan Givens (@JewishWarrior13) May 13, 2024
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at the torch-lighting ceremony (translated by the Government Press Office):
Seventy-six years ago, during the Revolutionary War, we were isolated. We were the few against the many. Five Arab armies invaded our land to annihilate this upstart nation. We lacked weapons and had few resources. But we had one secret weapon. It is the spirit of generations, the life force of an ancient people that refuses to die, and a nation that stands up to those who seek to destroy it. As the Psalm says, “I will not die, but will I live.” Thanks to this spirit, we were able to overcome our enemies and ensure our survival. Today we have become immeasurably stronger, but the desire to destroy us has not disappeared. It’s still here.
We saw this on October 7th. This year’s Independence Day is different from other years’ Independence Day. The war is still raging. It was forced upon us on that dark day of that terrible massacre. Many of our brothers and sisters are still held in Hamas dungeons. Their families are suffering greatly. We will bring everyone home, living and dead.
Residents in the north and south are still evacuated from their homes because of the war. We will return them home safely. Our best fighters have fallen in heroic battles. The families are suffering the pain of loss. The wounded cope with their combat injuries with unparalleled dignity. I embrace everyone with love. We pray for the speedy recovery of the injured. When I meet many of them and the families of fallen soldiers, they say, Don’t stop until the Hamas monster is eradicated. ” And I promise you: that’s what we will do.
Although this is not a regular Independence Day, it is a special occasion for us to recognize the importance of independence. Independence means being a free people in our country, with the freedom to protect ourselves and the sovereignty to meet the demands of generations.
We are doing all this together. Just as our brave soldiers fight shoulder to shoulder in tanks, armored vehicles, tunnels, aircraft and naval vessels. At that very moment, the entire nation took up arms. What a great generation we are, a generation of triumphant heroes.
The torches we burn tonight will shine a bright light on the miracle of our nation. In flames, they tell the story of our great nation. We salute our nation by raising our flag and torch.
Israelis celebrate Independence Day on the 5th of the month of Iyar, which corresponds to May 14, 1948, the day the British Mandate in Palestine expired and the Jewish community in the area gained independence. This is the day we declared.
Palestine’s Arabs rejected the declaration of their own state, which would have divided the land according to a partition plan approved by the United Nations in November 1947. Instead, it joined five Arab countries in attacking Israel.
Israel won the ensuing war, but Jordan occupied and destroyed Jerusalem and the Jewish community of Judea. Approximately 700,000 Palestinian Arabs were evacuated. A similar number of Jewish refugees left Arab countries.
After rebelling against the British, siding with the Nazis, and then attacking Israel, the Palestinians marked May 15 as a so-called “catastrophe,” even though the disaster was of their own making. It has come to be observed as “Nakba Day”.
The two dates usually do not coincide, but every 19 years the Hebrew and secular calendars line up again. So this year – 19 x 4 = 76 – is Israel’s Independence Day.Yom Harzmaut” applies to the original secular date.
Many Jewish communities around the world also celebrate this day with parties and celebrations. South Africa’s Jewish community held a carnival on Israel’s Independence Day, which was open to the public.
People raise Israeli flags in Johannesburg on May 13, 2024, celebrating Yom Ha’atzmaut, Israel’s founding day, commemorating the 76th anniversary of Israel’s founding on May 14, 1948. (Photo by Wikus de Wet/AFP) Photo credit: WIKUS DE WET/AFP via Getty Images)
In Israel, Independence Day is observed immediately after Memorial Day (Yom Hazikaron”), it’s an emotional transition. The week before Independence Day also marks Israel’s Holocaust Remembrance Day.
Joel B. Pollack is a senior editor at Breitbart News. Breitbart News Sunday Sunday nights from 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM ET (4:00 PM to 7:00 PM PT) on Sirius XM Patriot. He is the author of a recently published e-book.The Zionist conspiracy (and how to join it)‘ is now available on Audible. He is also the author of an e-book. Neither Free nor Fair: The 2020 US Presidential Election. He is the recipient of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter @joelpolak.
