Israel ushered in its 77th Independence Day at sunset on Wednesday night, with nightly celebrations canceled or postponed throughout the country as massive wildfires continued to engulf the Jewish state.
The Jerusalem torch-lighting ceremony that traditionally marks the start of Yom Ha’atzmaut, Independence Day, and the end of Yom Hazikaron, the Memorial Day for the Fallen Soldiers and Victims of Terrorism, was canceled due to a massive blaze in the nearby hills and strong winds. Instead, footage of the rehearsals held earlier this week was aired.
Unlike the 2024 event, which was pre-recorded without an audience due to the ongoing war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip, this year’s torch-lighting ceremony was supposed to take place live at Mount Herzl in Jerusalem.
However, the ceremony was canceled amid fears that the high winds could interfere with lighting the torches or even endanger participants. Additionally, Israeli authorities had concerns that the weather could compromise the stability of the event stage, potentially endangering the thousands of spectators.
Israelis and Diaspora Jews in the taped event lit 12 torches, symbolizing the 12 tribes: The torch of the hostages, the torch of determination, the torch of the Israeli soundtrack, the torch of the bridge to the world, the torch of the strength of spirit, the torch of the Israel Defense Forces, the torch of the people in the shadow, the torch of mutual responsibility, the torch of generation to generation, the torch of rehabilitation and healing, the torch of connecting communities and the torch of giving.
The theme of this year’s national ceremony was “Bridges of Hope.”
“Also this year, the torch-lighting ceremony will take place under the shadow of the multi-front war, and I deliberated a lot about the central theme,” Miri Regev, minister of transport, national infrastructure and road safety, who organized the event, stated ahead of the ceremony.
“We are all experiencing the divisions and pains prevailing in Israeli society, but at the same time, there is much more that unites us than separates us,” explained the Cabinet minister. “I decided that the theme expresses the recognition that—although it sometimes seems that there is a deep chasm between the two sides—there are bridges of hope.”
Ceremonies and events that required the presence of firefighters were scrapped throughout the country on Wednesday night, the National Security Ministry announced following a situational assessment.
Independence Day is expected to be marked with festivities throughout the Jewish state on Wednesday evening and during the day on Thursday.
The Israeli Air Force flyover, which traditionally takes place on the day of Yom Ha’atzmaut, had been canceled due to the military’s focus on the war.
On Thursday, Israeli President Isaac Herzog and his wife will receive 120 IDF troops for the traditional ceremony honoring outstanding soldiers.
Also on Thursday, the International Bible Contest will be held at the Jerusalem Theater, followed by the annual Israel Prize ceremony, in which the state’s highest civilian honor will be awarded in four fields: Jewish studies, humanities and social sciences; natural and exact sciences; culture and arts; and the lifetime achievement award.
Israeli Independence Day, celebrated on the fifth day of the Hebrew month of Iyar (this year it is on the third to avoid interference with Shabbat), commemorates the signing of the Israeli Declaration of Independence in 1948.
Independence Day is celebrated immediately after Memorial Day, creating a distinction between the pain suffered and the triumph and ultimate reward for the sacrifice of those who fell.
