May 2011, Israel celebrates 63 years of Independence
On the 10th of May, 2011, Israel will celebrate its 63rd anniversary, honoring six turbulent yet tenacious decades of statehood. In honor of Israel’s Independence Day, let us remember how it all began. The declaration of independence was born when David Ben Gurion, Israel’s first Prime Minister officially announced in front of an excited audience that the state of Israel had been formally established. “After being forcibly exiled from their land, the people kept faith with it throughout their Dispersion and never ceased to pray and hope for their return to it and for the restoration in it of their political freedom”, said Ben Gurion. After years of suffering, the right of the Jewish people to establish a sovereign state in the Promised Land was officially granted.
On its 63rd Independence Day, Israel is cherished as the Jewish state that was founded in the wake of the Holocaust. The pioneers, many of whom had survived the Holocaust, came with a purpose of establishing a state that would be the home and shelter for Jews worldwide. Within hours of declaring independence Israel was attacked by five Arab countries that wished to destroy it. Since the remarkable victory in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, Israel has known no rest and has been forced by its numerous enemies to defend itself in a constant struggle for survival.
On this day we repeat our prayer that this year will bring Peace to our territory. According to the Israeli tradition, the day preceding the Independence Day is devoted to the memory of the fearless soldiers who gave their lives for the country. This mix of grief and celebration signifies the essence of Israel, a state built with sweat, tears and hope of people who dared to dream of a permanent home for the Jewish nation. This day is a celebration of the survival of the Jewish state in spite of immense and continuous challenges.
In the last sixty years the Zionist dream has become a reality for millions of Jews who have come from around the world and made it a rich ethno-cultural mosaic. Israel’s 63rd Independence Day also celebrates Israel’s cultural, economic and technological achievements.
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