Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein delivered the annual message at the torch-lighting ceremony Wednesday night, marking the end of Memorial Day and the beginning of 24 hours of Independence Day celebrations, 71 years since Israel's founding.
Calling on Israelis "never to lose hope" and touting the Israeli spirit of surviving "against all odds," Edelstein lit the first torch, followed by twelve Israelis who have been chosen for their unique contribution to Israeli society.
Among those who were chosen were the three mothers of the teens who were abducted and killed in 2014 by terrorists ahead of Operation Protective Edge in Gaza.
Independence Day celebrations were to continue into the night until Thursday evening, with firework displays across the nation, cookouts and public dancing, various ceremonies, and a traditional Israeli Air Force flypast in Israel's skies.
