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.” (Read More)
