Israel transitioned somberly from its annual Memorial Day commemorating fallen soldiers and civilian victims of violence to celebrate its 76th year of independence on Monday, with the traditional Torch-Lighting Ceremony. The ceremony, normally the peak of celebrations on Mount Herzl, with hundreds of dignitaries in attendance, including Israel's most senior officials, was prerecorded, dedicated mainly to those affected by the Hamas atrocities and the war in Gaza.
The shift from grief to festivity was particularly poignant this year after a spate of Palestinian terrorist attacks in October left more than 1200 Israelis dead, mostly civilians. The attacks of Oct. 7 in several Israeli cities and kibbutzim were carried out by terrorists from the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip in the worst outbreak of violence in decades and were the worst atrocities carried out against the Jewish people since the Holocaust.
Video: Survivors of Oct. 7 light a torch/Committee for Events and Ceremonies
With tensions still high after the October attacks, celebrations were scaled back this year out of respect for the victims' families. The army held a modest ceremony honoring fallen soldiers, a Memorial Day tradition that is one of the most solemn dates on the Israeli calendar. Families of the more than 120 Israelis who are still captive in the Gaza Strip, after being abducted from their homes on Oct. 7, boycotted the celebrations and held an alternative Torch-Lighting Ceremony dubbed "Torch-Extinguishing Ceremony"
Meanwhile in the "Captives' Square", the unofficial name of the plaza in Tel Aviv across from the Defense Minister and IDF headquarters, families of the captives held a rally to protest the government's alleged inaction for not finalizing a deal with Hamas. This is the site where they have held weekly protests since the war began.
PM Netanyahu:
"The torches that we set ablaze this evening will shine a bright light on the miracle that is our country. They recount, in flames, the story of our incredible nation. We will raise our flags and torches in honor of our nation."
7⃣6⃣ 🇮🇱 pic.twitter.com/H1L7pJvZnQ
— Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) May 13, 2024
Independence Day festivities normally include Air Force flyovers, beach parties, and barbecues. But the revelry was more muted this year, with flags fluttering at half-staff outside homes and businesses.
Video: The captives remembered at the Torch-Lighting Ceremony/Government's Ceremonies and Events Committee
Israel declared its independence on May 14, 1948, in the waning days of British mandate rule over Palestine. Years of underground rebellion against British control and deadly terrorism against the the Jews before Israel's independence culminated in a lengthy war with Arab states that rejected the UN partition plan.
Video: Father of a field observed murdered on Oct. 7 speaks on his daughter during a protest celebration
