Israel
Independence Day is celebrated annually on the anniversary of
the establishment of the State of Israel, according to the Hebrew calendar, on
the 5th day of the month of Iyar.
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.
Independence Day
Israel's 74th Independence Day celebrations will
commence this year on Wednesday evening, May 4, immediately upon the conclusion
of Memorial Day for the fallen soldiers and victims of terrorism, when the
state flag is raised to full mast at a national ceremony on Mount Herzl, at
which 12 torches are lit.
Independence Day is filled with festivities and
celebrations including picnics, barbecues, family gatherings and nature trips.
Balconies, car windows, store fronts and more are liberally decorated with
Israeli flags.
Population of Israel
On the eve of Independence Day 2022, the
Central Bureau of Statistics announced that On the eve of Israel's 74th Independence
Day, the population of Israel was 9.506 million - almost twelve times the
population at the establishment of the state in 1948 (806,000). Jews and others
today constitute 79% of the population, and Arabs 21%. About 75% of the Jewish
population is comprised today of native-born Israelis, and more than half are
at least second-generation Israelis.
Since the establishment of the state, over 3.3
million immigrants arrived in Israel. As a result, the allocation of Jews in
Israel as a percentage of total Jewish population in the world grew from 6% on
the country’s first anniversary to 44% on the eve of the 74th.
In 1948, only Tel Aviv-Jaffa had more than 100,000
residents. Today there are 14 cities in Israel with a population of over
100,000, and 6 others with over 200,000 residents: Jerusalem, Tel Aviv-Jaffa,
Haifa, Rishon Lezion, Ashdod and Petah Tikva.
Happy Independence Day!