As Memorial Day ends, Israelis celebrate 67 years of independence

Israel on Wednesday night moved from mourning its fallen to celebrating the 67th anniversary of its founding as Memorial Day gave way to Independence Day.

Ahead of the celebrations, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Reuven Rivlin, Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon and IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot all chose to invite one person — a “hero of Israel” — to the annual festivities at the president’s residence.

Rivlin chose to honor ultra-Orthodox filmmaker Rama Burshtein, director of the critically acclaimed “Fill the Void” in 2012, according to Ynet.

“Rama in her special way shows us the Haredi world through a real, authentic, and heartwarming lens. In her work, she serves as a voice for the mute Haredi public that secular Israeli society doesn’t know, while recognizing the commonalities between the secular and Haredi,” a spokesman for the president said.

Netanyahu invited Miriam Peretz, the mother of two fallen soldiers, commending her for “to continue on in life; she meets with soldiers, teenagers and bereaved families, and conveys messages of hope and faith in mankind to blossom from moments of crisis. She is a symbol of sacrifice and dedication, and works day and night on advocacy for the state of Israel.”

Ya’alon’s choice was Munir Suad, a former paratrooper who lost his legs from a roadside bomb in southern Lebanon in the 1980s. Suad served in the IDF under Ya’alon’s command and later worked to establish a memorial site for four fallen soldiers.

Eisenkot’s selection was Oren Blitzblau, a former soldier who was severely injured during an operation in Gaza a decade ago, and went on to be an award-winning athlete after losing his eyesight.

At 7:45 p.m. Wednesday, the official state ceremony began, marking the transition from Memorial Day to Independence Day. Netanyahu recorded a short video that was screened at the ceremony, just ahead of a speech by Knesset speaker Yuli Edelstein. Rivlin was also in attendance.

At the ceremony, held in Jerusalem’s Mt. Herzl military cemetery. 14 Israelis, honored for their contributions to the state, lit torches.

In his televised message, Netanyahu said that without the IDF soldiers who fell and those who were wounded, “we would not be here.”

The prime minister said that “when you look around, you see how unique Israel is in the region — a vibrant democracy.” He also thanked the torch lighters: “You are all groundbreaking, and the citizens of Israel appreciate that.”

Later Netanyahu posted a video message in English on Facebook.

US Ambassador Dan Shapiro, who earlier on Wednesday said how moved he was during a Memorial Day ceremony devoted to members of the IAF, tweeted a picture of the fireworks marking the opening celebration of Independence Day late Wednesday evening:

https://twitter.com/AmbShapiro/status/590966585755439105

Independence Day is a big day for musicians — and obviously their fans. There were free concerts in every city and in the major cities more than one concert at the same time. Most pubs featured Independence Day-themed parties, with some demanding an entrance fee.

Independence Day, which falls on Thursday this year, has traditionally evolved into Israel’s national barbecue day. This year, Independence Day’s real date is on Saturday, but it was brought forward so as not to coincide with the weekend.

This year’s barbecuing was set to be hampered slightly due to the weather forecast, which predicted some rain in some parts of the country.