Israel on Tuesday evening rose from a somber Memorial Day to celebratory joy, ushering in its 75th Independence Day. Events were due to begin at 7: 45 p.m. (local time) with a ceremony on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem that brought Memorial Day for Fallen Soldiers and Victims of Terrorism to a close.
Video: Amir Ettinger
The country then immediately segued into its birthday celebration with Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana delivering the keynote address and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also sent a video message.
Leo Dee, who lost his daughters Maia and Rina as well his wife Lucy in the horrific shooting by a terrorist several weeks ago, was tapped to recite the Yizkor ("remember") prayer before the flag was once again raised to full-staff and the celebratory performances and speeches began.
Ohana's speech gave way to the torch-lighting ceremony, which traditionally kicks off Independence Day. This year, in light of the ongoing political turbulence due to the contested judicial reforms, the ceremony and the preceding remembrance events were supposed to provide a brief respite in the protests as both sides were to unite in honor of the special occasions. However, some minor heckling of cabinet ministers was noted during the day. The protest movement also said it would fuse some of the celebrations with the protest movement in Tel Aviv's city center, where the biggest demonstrations have been taking place over the past several weeks. Celebrations will feature alongside speeaches and performances on democracy.
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Twelve men and women who made extraordinary contributions to the development of Israeli society were recognized this year in the state ceremony: Avigdor Kahalani, a former minister, MK and a retired brigadier general in the IDF; Lt. Col. D., the commander of the special forces unit Duvdevan; David Blatt, the famed basketball coah; Shalom Asayag, a comedian, actor and filmmaker; Nina Avidar Weiner, founding president of the Israel Scholarship Education Foundation; Vered Ben-Sadon, founder of the Tura winery in Judea and Samaria; Sivan Ya'ari, head of Innovation Africa; Dr. Avraham Rivkind, head of the general surgery unit at Hadassah Ein Kerem hospital along with Dr. Hatam Hussein, specialist in internal medicine and infectious diseases who received her training at Rambam Medical College; Yehudit Negosa, founder and head of the Chance for Change pre-army preparatory academy; Reut Amichai, a 17-year-old volunteer with the Hashomer Hachadash youth group; Eliyahu Salah, who moved to Israel from Kurdistan, fought in the IDF and later founded the northern border community of Shtula; philanthropist and businessman Sylvan Adams, who has supported many projects in Israel in education and medicine; and Ofek Rishon, who was bullied from first to sixth grade and went on to establish the "Bully Patrol" project that helps children who are subject to bullying.
The traditional handover of the state and military flags was to follow, during which a military unit is tasked with safeguarding the State of Israel and the Israel Defense Forces for the coming year. The unit that receives the flags of the unit that delivers them arrange opposite each other and once the flags are unfolded, rearranged, and handed over, an elaborate flags show commences.
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