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Independence Day (Israel)

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Independence Day
יום העצמאות
Yom Ha'atzmaut
RABBI TZVI YEHUDA KOOK.jpg
Independence day eve 1957 .Israel's representative, rabbi Tzvi Yehuda Kook, lights the torch.

עברית: ערב יום העצמאות תשי"ז. נציג ישראל, הרב צבי יהודה קוק, מדליק את המשואה.

Date Taken on 6 May 1957
Observed byIsraelis
CelebrationsTorch lighting, flag display with the flag of Israel and other national symbols, family meetings, fireworks, barbecues, picnics, concerts
ObservancesMount Herzl ceremony, ceremonial lighting of the twelve torches, International Bible Contest, Israel Prize ceremony.
Date5 Iyar (Hebrew calendar)
2027 dateSunset, 11 May –
nightfall, 12 May[1]
Related to
David Ben-Gurion proclaiming independence beneath a large portrait of Theodor Herzl, founder of modern Zionism.

Independence Day (Hebrew: יום העצמאות Yom Ha'atzmaut, lit. "Day of Independence") is the national day of Israel, commemorating the Israeli Declaration of Independence on 14 May 1948. For many Israelis, it celebrates the establishment of a Jewish state after centuries of persecution and exile. For many Palestinians, it marks the Nakba ("catastrophe"), associated with displacement during the 1948 war. The day is observed with official ceremonies, public events, and cultural activities.

The holiday is typically observed on the 5th of Iyar in the Hebrew calendar, corresponding to the 1948 declaration. To avoid Sabbath desecration, it may be shifted by one or two days if 5 Iyar falls near the Sabbath. Yom Hazikaron, a remembrance day for fallen soldiers and victims of terrorism, precedes Independence Day. In the Hebrew calendar, days begin at sunset, so the holiday is observed from nightfall to the following evening.[2]

The most recent observance occurred from sunset to sunset, 21–22 April 2024. In the Hebrew calendar, days begin in the evening and Independence Day is observed from nightfall until the following evening of the designated day.[3] The most recent occurrence of Yom Haatzmaut took place from sunset to sunset, 4-5 May 2022.

History

Independence Day commemorates the establishment of the State of Israel, declared by David Ben-Gurion, leader of the Jewish community in Mandatory Palestine, on 14 May 1948.[4] The declaration, made hours before the British Mandate of Palestine expired on 15 May 1948, fulfilled the Zionist vision of a Jewish homeland, driven by centuries of antisemitism, pogroms, and the Holocaust, which claimed six million Jewish lives.

Israel's statehood is grounded in the United Nations General Assembly Resolution 181 of 1947, which proposed independent Jewish and Arab states.[5] For the residents of the territory named Palestine, this event is known as the Nakba, marked by the displacement of approximately 700,000 Arabs who fled or were expelled during the 1948 Arab–Israeli War.[6]

The Declaration of the Establishment of the State of Israel invoked the Jewish people's natural and historic rights, alongside the UN resolution, concluding with Ben-Gurion's proclamation of the establishment of a Jewish state in Eretz Israel, to be known as the State of Israel.[7] The new state gained swift de facto recognition from the United States, the Soviet Union, and other countries.[8] However, neighboring Arab states rejected the declaration, and escalated the ongoing civil conflict into the 1948 Arab–Israeli War.

Events

Independence Day celebrations in Tel Aviv's Rabin Square, 2008
Israeli Air Force Independence Day flypast, 2011

Independence Day Eve

Independence Day begins at sunset, following Yom Hazikaron. An official ceremony at Mount Herzl in Jerusalem includes a speech by the Knesset speaker, artistic performances, and the ceremonial lighting of twelve torches, symbolizing the Tribes of Israel. Twelve citizens, recognized for social contributions, light the torches. Cities host outdoor performances, fireworks, and public gatherings, with streets often closed to traffic.[9]

Independence Day

Key events include:

Television channels customarily broadcast events and popular Israeli programs.[13]

Religious observances

Jewish religious practices on Independence Day vary. In 1950–51, the Israeli Chief Rabbinate designated it a minor Jewish holiday, recommending Hallel (Psalms 113–118) without a blessing. This sparked debate, with some Religious Zionists advocating a blessing and Agudat Yisrael opposing religious significance.[15] In 1973, Chief Rabbi Shlomo Goren introduced a Hallel blessing, opposed by rabbis like Ovadia Yosef and Joseph B. Soloveitchik.[16]

Religious Zionists may add liturgical elements, such as psalms, a haftarah (Isaiah 10:32–12:6), or a Shofar. Some propose an Al HaNissim prayer.[17] A 2015 machzor by Koren Publishers Jerusalem supports these observances.[18] Many Haredi communities maintain regular prayers, while some, like the Edah HaChareidis, view the state’s establishment critically, observing the day with fasting.[19]

The Conservative Movement reads Deuteronomy 7:12–8:18 and includes Al Hanisim, while the Reform Movement may add Ya'aleh V'yavo.[20] In 2015, Rabbi Shlomo Riskin’s Day to Praise invited Christians to recite Hallel with Jews.[21]

Timing

Independence Day is set for the 5th of Iyar, marking the 1948 declaration. To avoid Sabbath desecration, it is adjusted if 5 Iyar falls on a Friday or Saturday (moved to Thursday) or Monday (moved to Tuesday, to avoid Sabbath preparations for Yom Hazikaron). This ensures the holiday falls between the 3rd and 6th of Iyar, typically on a Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday.[22]

Upcoming Gregorian dates for Independence Day:

  • Sunset, 21 April 2026 – nightfall, 22 April 2026
  • Sunset, 11 May 2027 – nightfall, 12 May 2027
  • Sunset, 1 May 2028 – nightfall, 2 May 2028
  • Sunset, 18 April 2029 – nightfall, 19 April 2029

Perspectives among Israeli Arabs and Palestine residents

Independence Day holds divergent meanings. For Jewish Israelis, it is a celebration of national independence and resilience, rooted in the Zionist goal of a Jewish homeland after centuries of persecution, including the Holocaust.[23] Many Arab citizens of Israel participate in celebrations, but others, along with Palestinians, observe the day as the Nakba, commemorating the displacement of approximately 700,000 Palestinians during the 1948 war. Since 1998, Nakba Day has been marked on 15 May by many Palestinians to reflect on these events.[24] Both perspectives coexist within Israel’s diverse society, reflecting the complexity of the holiday’s significance.

International Bible Contest, 1985
IDF Caterpillar D9 at the Israel Defense Forces exhibit (2012), Yad La-Shiryon
Hallel recited at the Day to Praise Israel Independence Day event in Jerusalem, 23 April 2015
Families celebrating in Israel Defense Force fair in Sderot, 2019.

References

  1. ^ "Dates for Israeli Independence Day". Hebcal.com by Danny Sadinoff and Michael J. Radwin (CC-BY-3.0). Retrieved 2018-08-26.
  2. ^ Kurzweil, Arthur (9 February 2011). The Torah For Dummies. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 9781118051832 – via Google Books.
  3. ^ Kurzweil, Arthur (9 February 2011). The Torah For Dummies. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 9781118051832 – via Google Books.
  4. ^ Sherzer, Adi (January 2021). Kedourie, Helen; Kelly, Saul (eds.). "The Jewish past and the 'birth' of the Israeli nation state: The case of Ben-Gurion's Independence Day speeches". Middle Eastern Studies. Taylor & Francis. 57 (2): 310–326. doi:10.1080/00263206.2020.1862801. eISSN 1743-7881. ISSN 0026-3206. LCCN 65009869. OCLC 875122033. S2CID 231741621.
  5. ^ "Declaration of Establishment of State of Israel: 14 May 1948". Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Archived from the original on 21 March 2012. Retrieved 26 April 2012.
  6. ^ Morris, Benny (2004). The Birth of the Palestinian Refugee Problem Revisited. Cambridge University Press. pp. 602–604. ISBN 9780521009676.
  7. ^ "Declaration of Establishment of State of Israel: 14 May 1948". Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Archived from the original on 21 March 2012. Retrieved 26 April 2012.
  8. ^ United States de facto Recognition of State of Israel: 14 May 1948: Retrieved 9 April 2012
  9. ^ Cohen, Gili. "Independence Day". Haaretz.com. Retrieved 1 May 2017.
  10. ^ "Israeli president honors 120 outstanding soldiers on Independence Day". Haaretz.com. 12 May 2016. Retrieved 1 May 2017.
  11. ^ "The boy who beat incredible odds to win the Bible Quiz". The Times of Israel.
  12. ^ "Academic gives $20,000 prize from Israel to Palestinians". Independent.co.uk. 14 May 2016.
  13. ^ a b Cohen, Gili. "Independence Day". Haaretz.com. Retrieved 1 May 2017.
  14. ^ "The Israel Song Festival". iccjer.co.il.
  15. ^ Baruch Kimmerling (1 January 1989). The Israeli State and Society: Boundaries and Frontiers. SUNY Press. pp. 191–193. ISBN 978-0-88706-850-8.
  16. ^ Alfred S. Cohen, ed. (1984). "Reciting Hallel on Yom Haatzmaut". Journal of Halacha and Contemporary Society. Vol. 7–10. Yeshiva Rabbi Jacob Joseph School. p. 17.
  17. ^ "Machon Shilo Al HaNissim for Yom Ha'atzmaut and Yom Yerushalayim" (PDF). Machon Shilo.
  18. ^ "The Koren Mahzor for Yom Ha'atzmaut & Yom Yerushalayim". Koren Publishers.
  19. ^ Moishe Guttman (14 March 2007). "Zealots and Zionism". Mishpacha Magazine.
  20. ^ Lucas, Lucas. "Yom Ha-atzmaut: Laws & Customs". The Rabbinical Assembly. Retrieved 16 April 2013.
  21. ^ Poch, Raphael (23 March 2015). ""Day to Praise" Calls on Christians, Jews Worldwide to Unite in Prayer". Breaking Israel News. Retrieved 5 May 2017.
  22. ^ "Independence Day Law – 5709". knesset.gov.il. The State of Israel. 1949. Retrieved 7 July 2017.
  23. ^ Gilbert, Martin (1998). Israel: A History. William Morrow. pp. 3–20. ISBN 9780688123635.
  24. ^ Gladstone, Rick (15 May 2021). "An annual day of Palestinian grievance comes amid the upheaval". New York Times. Retrieved 15 May 2021.

External links

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