Happy 57th Birthday to Israel!
May 13, 2005
Independence
Day celebrations were held across the country last night and today, beginning
with an official ceremony at Mt. Herzl. The theme this year: "Covenant of
Life: Bridging Hearts"
Knesset Speaker Ruby Rivlin, speaking at the Mt. Herzl ceremony last night,
spoke of his fears of a civil war and a rupture in the nation. "I’m
greatly worried about a rupture," he said, " that might bring calamity
upon all of us, one that’s much greater than the planned evacuation of the
communities of Gush Katif and northern Samaria... I stand before you this year
with very great fear of the raucous sounds of a total turning of [our] backs on
our covenant with the Land, of the true intentions of those who have 'shown
disdain to the coveted Land,' and of the scorn heaped upon those who love it and
are loyal to it. I am fearful of the malicious joy of some at the misfortune of
those who have given and are giving their lives for the settlement and
redemption of this land. How will we be able to celebrate our 58th Independence
Day if, Heaven forbid, this year becomes one of fraternal bloodshed?"
More excerpts of the speech can be read
here.
In response to voices calling for the silencing or reducing of Independence Day
celebrations this year in light of the plan to destroy the settlement enterprise
of Gush Katif and northern Shomron, Rabbi Yaakov Medan of Yeshivat Har Etzion
told Arutz-7, "The State is not Omri Sharon, and Independence Day is not
just a day of barbecues. We must continue to thank G-d on this day and to recite
the Hallel prayer of thanksgiving and praise. This is a day of making an
accounting and of thanking G-d for the great miracles He has done for us and
continues to do for us."
Rabbi Gabi Kadosh, rabbi of the Gush Katif community of Ganei Tal, also related
to this issue in an article he wrote on Katif.net. "We must ask ourselves,
to whom does this State belong?' Rabbi Kadosh wrote. He explained that it does
not belong to the secular Zionist movement, nor to those who see no value to its
establishment, "but rather to the Master of Universe, Who erected it for us
so that we could fulfill the destiny and mission of the Nation of Israel on this
earth - namely, to be a 'kingdom of priests and a holy nation,' and to fulfill
the task of recounting G-d's praise. The establishment of the State is part of
the process of the nation's return to Zion... It is a commandment upon all of
us. Thank G-d, 57 years ago, G-d showed favor to our nation and allowed us to
build the State, with tremendous Divine help. That day, the 5th of the month of
Iyar in 5708 (1948), is the day on which the Master of the Universe stopped the
situation in which the Jews are dispersed around the world."
At the President's House today, President Katzav received IDF generals from all
time, as well as 120 top soldiers. Later in the day, foreign ambassadors came to
congratulate the President on Israel's birthday. The annual Bible Quiz for
students from Israel and all over the world was held in the Jerusalem Theater.
Ben (Chaim) Kandel from St. Louis won this week's Diaspora Bible Quiz, which
took place in Sderot. Joshua Gutenberg, 17, from Canada came in second, followed
by Tzviya Cohen, 16, of France.
57th Year Statistics: Israel now has 6.9 million residents, 8.5 times more than
in 1948... 76% are Jews, and 20% are Arabs... 26,000 new immigrants arrived in
the past year, and 149,000 babies were born...
SOURCE: Inside Israel