Israel marks its 75th Independence Day on Wednesday with a population of 9.7 million people, including 60,000 who were born the same year as the state.
Remembrance Day on Tuesday is being observed with ceremonies and sirens. Independence Day events began Tuesday night and will continue throughout Wednesday.
Here is a list of key events to mark the two days:
Remembrance Day:
On Tuesday, the largest memorial ceremony will begin at 8:30 a.m. at Mount Herzl Military Cemetery in Jerusalem with the reading of the names of the fallen.
A siren will sound at 11 a.m. and continue for two minutes, after which the main ceremony will commence, beginning with a memorial flyover above Mount Herzl.
IDF soldiers prepare for Remembrance Day at the graves of fallen soldiers at the Har Herzl military cemetery, April 23, 2023. (credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THE JERUSALEM POST)There will be a memorial ceremony at 1 p.m. for victims of terrorist attacks.
Independence Day:
Remembrance Day will transition into Independence Day on Tuesday at sundown with a torch-lighting ceremony at Mount Herzl. Following the torch-lighting, security forces will perform a dance in which they will create a variety of formations with flags.
Cities across the country will have fireworks displays, although some have opted out for the sake of those suffering from PTSD. Other cities have chosen to have silent fireworks displays.
Wednesday’s events will start at 8:30 a.m. with the annual ceremony at the President’s Residence, during which 120 soldiers receive the President’s Award of Excellence.
A small flyover at 8:45 a.m. above the President’s Residence will honor the selected soldiers, with the larger cross-country flyover beginning at 9:30 a.m. and continuing for five hours.
When will the flyover pass over you?
- Jerusalem: 9:55 a.m. and 2:27 p.m.;
- Tel Aviv: 9:20 a.m., 12 p.m., 12:12 p.m. and 12:40 p.m.;
- Haifa: 9:25 a.m., 9:35 a.m. and 9:51 a.m.;
- Ramat David Air Base: 9:14 a.m., 9:25 a.m. and 9:35 a.m.;
- Tel Nof Air Base: 10 a.m., 11:50 a.m., 12:36 p.m. and 12:50 p.m.;
- Hatzerim Air Base: 11:50 a.m. and 12:20 p.m.;
- Tiberias: 9:29 a.m.;
- Ashdod: 2:49 p.m.
The annual Bible Competition will begin at 11 a.m. Jewish youths from around the world will compete on their knowledge of the Bible.
This year’s Israel Prizes will be awarded to Israelis who are outstanding in their fields at 6:30 p.m. at the International Convention Center in Jerusalem.
