Israel Independence Day is
celebrated annually on the anniversary of the establishment of the State
of Israel, according to the Hebrew calendar, on 5 Iyar (this year
celebrated one day later because of the Sabbath). The day preceding this
celebration is devoted to the memory of those who gave their lives for
the achievement of the country's independence and its continued
existence.
This proximity is intended to remind people of the heavy price paid
for independence. On this day the entire nation remembers its debt and
expresses eternal gratitude to its sons and daughters who gave their
lives for the achievement of the country's independence and its
continued existence.
On May 14, 1948, the day the British Mandate expired, the new
Jewish state - the State of Israel - was formally established in parts
of what was known as the British Mandate for Palestine. With the
establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, Jewish independence was
restored after 2,000 years.
Independence Day is a celebration of the renewal of the Jewish
state in the Land of Israel, the birthplace of the Jewish people. In
this land, the Jewish people began to develop its distinctive religion
and culture some 4,000 years ago, and here it has preserved an unbroken
physical presence, for centuries as a sovereign state, at other times
under foreign domination. Throughout their
long history, the yearning to return to the land has been the focus of Jewish life.
Theodor Herzl, the leader and founder of the Zionist movement, increased international recognition for the need of a Jewish state.
Since its establishment, Israel continues to be a homeland to the
thousands who make their way to Israel annually. It is home to some of
the holiest religious sites of the three major religions, all which
enjoy the democratic rights delineated in the
Declaration of the Establishment of the State of Israel.