After last year’s lockdown, Israelis back at parks to celebrate Independence Day By TOI staff With most restrictions lifted, majority-vaccinated country’s citizens able to enjoy holiday at sites nationwide, some of which are forced to stop accepting visitors due to overflow

Honoring outstanding troops for last time, Rivlin says national path ‘not lost’ By TOI staff   Israel celebrates 73rd Independence Day with Air Force flyby By TOI staff

From the blogs Miriam Herschlag Thoughts on Israel at 73 while flying over the Saudi desert On this, the independence day of an old-new country, our governance may be ailing, but the hallmark ’superabundant force’ of democracy is alive and kicking

World landmarks light up in blue and white in honor of Israel’s Independence Day By TOI staff   Israel at 73 by the numbers: 12th-happiest in world, over 10% work in high-tech By TOI staff

Remembrance The legend of Michael Levin, and what it tells us about our need for heroes By Lazar Berman An idealistic lone soldier from the US, he was killed in Lebanon in 2006, and has become an Israeli icon and inspiration. His friends don’t quite know what to make of it all

Memorial Day service held for ultra-Orthodox soldiers for 3rd year By TOI staff   Memorial Day sorrow fades into joy as Israel ushers in 73rd Independence Day By TOI staff

Top Ops

Kenneth Jacobson This Independence Day, let’s hear it for normalcy It’s one of the goals of Zionism – a normal state for the Jewish People – and this year there’s lots to celebrate on that score   Amit Naor Israel’s first Independence Day and the parade that didn’t march In 1949, organizational blunders led to the debacle of an army that managed to conquer everything…except the streets of Tel Aviv   Daniel S. Mariaschin Heed the neon warning sign on Iran’s intentions In his dealings with Iran, US Sec. of State Blinken should heed his own words about America’s historic failure to rescue the Jews from calamity   Talya Woolf 73 reasons to love Israel Lightning-speed vaccination, random acts of kindness, and 7 ways to eat a Krembo – just some of the wonders that make this place thrilling

Israel at 73: How the tech sector saved the economy from the worst of COVID By Shoshanna Solomon

Times Will Tell Podcast: With left-wing anti-Zionism on the rise, how to instill ‘Jewish pride’ By TOI staff Author and educator Ben M. Freeman challenges young liberal Jews to go on a journey of self-discovery and explore authentic history to help reclaim pride in their Jewish identities

‘Missing link’ in alphabet’s history said unearthed in Israel on Canaanite sherd By TOI staff Researchers say pottery fragment from Tel Lachish is the oldest artifact of its kind found in region, could explain how writing system reached Levant from Egypt

Israel’s care for traumatized veterans is broken. Fixing it will be hard By Judah Ari Gross After veteran with PTSD self-immolates in apparent protest against Defense Ministry, treatment options come under intense scrutiny

As Memorial Day siren blares, dozens stand where IDF veteran self-immolated By TOI staff

Iran says concern about ‘peaceful’ nuke program is a ‘mistake,’ as talks resume By Agencies and TOI staff Khamenei says Vienna offers ‘not worth looking at’ after hiking uranium enrichment in response to alleged Israel attack on Natanz plant

Iran nuclear talks resume in Vienna amid soaring tensions By Agencies and TOI staff   IAEA says Iran has almost completed preparations for 60% uranium enrichment By TOI staff and Agencies   Iran dismisses Vienna nuclear deal offers as ‘not worth looking at’ By Jon Gambrell

US secretary of state: Israel’s group of friends to grow wider in years ahead By Jacob Magid In Independence Day message, Antony Blinken says US will urge more countries to normalize, lauds Jerusalem’s vaccine effort, vows to strengthen all parts of bilateral relationship

Rivlin thanks global Jewry for standing ‘side by side with Israel’ By TOI staff   Israel honors Pfizer chief at Independence Day ceremony By AP

Obituary MICHAEL BALSAMO and Tom Hays ‘His crimes were extraordinarily evil’: The life and death of Bernie Madoff The man who operated the largest Ponzi scheme in history is dead at 82; ‘no one is going to mourn him,’ says an attorney for some of his victims

Top French court won’t prosecute Jewish woman’s killer because he was on weed By Agencies and TOI staff Court of Cassation upholds ruling that Kobili Traore can’t be held criminally responsible for Sarah Halimi’s killing as he was in a psychotic state from marijuana use

Jewish leader quits Auschwitz board over right-wing politician’s nomination By Cnaan Liphshiz   Anti-Semitic incidents in Netherlands fell by 25% in 2020, but remain high By Cnaan Liphshiz

US said to scold PA over death threats toward Palestinian-American Abbas critic By TOI staff Fatah-affiliated terror group said it would target Fadi Elsalameen, as he visited his hometown of as-Samu in the West Bank

J Street, Americans for Peace Now back bill restricting how Israel spends US aid By Ron Kampeas   PA slams UK’s ‘subversion of global order’ after Johnson opposes ICC probe By TOI staff

Despite Biden OK, ‘concerned’ Democrat says US Congress to review UAE arms deal By Jacob Magid Chairman of House Foreign Affairs Committee says he still has questions over $23 billion sale, which White House is now advancing after initial suspension

Envoy: US ready to facilitate stalled Israel-Lebanon maritime border talks By Jacob Magid and AP

Biden: US troops to leave Afghanistan by 9/11 anniversary, ending ‘forever war’ By AAMER MADHANI and Matthew Lee President says the 2001 terror attacks can’t justify the continued presence of soldiers in the country after 20 years of conflict

With withdrawal, Biden hopes Afghanistan stable enough to withstand extremists By Robert Burns

More Headlines

Haredi teens said to burn wreaths on troops’ graves, PM blasts ‘barbaric’ act By TOI staff   ZOA to stay in Boston Jewish group despite ‘elevating white supremacist voices’ By Asaf Shalev   Smotrich begs Netanyahu, Sa’ar to ‘sort out differences,’ establish government By TOI staff   Top national religious rabbi Chaim Druckman hospitalized due to heart failure By TOI staff   Man killed in motorcycle accident after Memorial Day siren By TOI staff   KKL-JNF board members: Move to buy West Bank land illegal, must be halted By TOI staff   Iran’s state TV censors UK soccer match to avoid showing female referee’s legs By TOI staff and Agencies   23-year-old dies from allergic reaction to whipped cream at meat restaurant By TOI staff   Former ADL chief Abe Foxman says he’d honor Fox’s Rupert Murdoch ‘again today’ By Ben Sales   US Senate approves economist Gary Gensler as market watchdog chief By Marcy Gordon   Saudi university catches fire after missile, drone attack intercepted By AP   Man found dead in stairwell in Netivot; shooters reportedly dressed as police By TOI staff