Showing posts with label Celebrates. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Celebrates. Show all posts

Thursday, April 19, 2018

Israel celebrates 70 years of independence - Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Israel celebrates 70 years of independence

18 Apr 2018


Throughout their long history, the yearning to return to the Land of Israel has been the focus of Jewish life. Independence Day is a celebration of the renewal of the Jewish state in the land where the Jewish people began to develop its distinctive religion and culture some 4,000 years ago. 
Israel celebrates 70 years of independence
 Israel celebrates 70 years of independence
Copyright: MFA
Israel Independence Day is celebrated annually on the anniversary of the establishment of the State of Israel, according to the Hebrew calendar, on 5 Iyar. The day preceding this celebration is devoted to the memory of those who gave their lives for the achievement of the country's independence and its continued existence.

This proximity is intended to remind people of the heavy price paid for independence. On this day the entire nation remembers its debt and expresses eternal gratitude to its sons and daughters who gave their lives for the achievement of the country's independence and its continued existence.

On May 14, 1948, the day the British Mandate expired, the new Jewish state - the State of Israel - was formally established in parts of what was known as the British Mandate for Palestine. With the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, Jewish independence was restored after 2,000 years.

Independence Day is a celebration of the renewal of the Jewish state in the Land of Israel, the birthplace of the Jewish people. In this land, the Jewish people began to develop its distinctive religion and culture some 4,000 years ago, and here it has preserved an unbroken physical presence, for centuries as a sovereign state, at other times under foreign domination. Throughout their long history, the yearning to return to the land has been the focus of Jewish life. Theodor Herzl, the leader and founder of the Zionist movement, increased international recognition for the need of a Jewish state.

Since its establishment, Israel continues to be a homeland to the thousands who make their way to Israel annually. It is home to some of the holiest religious sites of the three major religions, all which enjoy the democratic rights delineated in the Declaration of the Establishment of the State of Israel.

Independence Day

Israel's 70th Independence Day celebrations will commence on Wednesday evening, April 18, immediately upon the conclusion of Remembrance Day, when the state flag is raised to full mast at a national ceremony on Mount Herzl, at which 12 torches are lit. Independence Day is filled with festivities and celebrations including picnics, barbecues, family gatherings and nature trips. Balconies, car windows, store fronts and more are liberally decorated with Israeli flags.

Population of Israel

On the eve of Independence Day 2018, the Central Bureau of Statistics announced that the population of Israel numbers 8,842,000 - more than ten times the population at the establishment of the state in 1948 (806,000). Jews and others today constitute 79.09% of the population, and Arabs 20.9%. About 75% of the Jewish population is comprised today native-born Israelis, and more than half at least second-generation Israelis.

Since the establishment of the state, over 3.2 million immigrants arrived in Israel. As a result, the allocation of Jews in Israel as a percentage of total Jewish population in the world grew from 6% on the country’s first anniversary to 44% on the eve of the 70th.  

In 1948, only Tel Aviv-Jaffa had more than 100,000 residents. Today there are 14 cities in Israel with a population of over 100,000, and 6 others with over 200,000 residents: Jerusalem, Tel Aviv-Jaffa, Haifa, Rishon Lezion, Ashdod and Petah Tikva.

Happy Independence Day!

​ ​ ​





Wednesday, May 24, 2017

Israel Celebrates Jerusalem Day - Wednesday, May 24, 2017 | Israel Today

Israel Celebrates 

Jerusalem Day

Wednesday, May 24, 2017 |  Israel Today Staff
Jerusalem is not only festively decorated, but Jerusalem flags and Israel flags adorn the streets and flap majestically in the wind! Ceremonies are being held all over the city, and her citizens are out dancing in parks, streets and in the Old City!
Our shop has also been infected and we have introduced our "Israel Celebrates" category! Check out our shop with great CDs, new pendants, tasty Israeli coffee and many more surprises!
We are offering up to 20% on all the products in this category.
Want more news from Israel?
Click Here to sign up for our FREE daily email updates

Sunday, December 25, 2016

Joel Rosenberg: Reflections of an Israeli who celebrates both Hanukkah and Christmas.

merrychristmas-hanukkah

New post on Joel C. Rosenberg's Blog

A few things I’m thankful for this holiday season. (Reflections of an Israeli who celebrates both Hanukkah and Christmas.)

by joelcrosenberg
True, there aren't many people in the world who celebrate both Hanukkah and Christmas.
But as a person of Jewish heritage on my father's side, and as a follower of Jesus the Messiah, I am one of them.
This year actually marks the third Hanukkah and Christmas season that I've had the joy and opportunity to celebrate both holidays as an Israeli citizen. And I must tell you I find it fascinating to live in a country where Jesus was actually born, where He ministered to the poor and forgotten, where He was crucified and raised on the third day -- and yet a country where by and large Christmas is not celebrated.
Israel is not an easy place to live. It's been quite challenging for Lynn and our four sons and I to move to a new country and acclimate to a new language and culture. But as these two holidays converge this year, and as I reflect on the past few years, I am profoundly thankful and grateful.
Here are a few reasons why:
  • I'm thankful for the amazing opportunity the Lord has given Lynn and me to be able to live and raise our family and write novels in the land where the Hebrew prophets, priests and kings lived, the very land where Jesus (Yeshua in Hebrew) and His disciples lived and ministered and transformed the world.
  • I'm thankful for the wonderful friends and neighbors that we have found in Israel, along with physical safety, economic opportunity, robust democracy and extraordinary religious freedom we have found there. Most Jews in Israel -- and nearly every Jewish person in the government and in the court system -- don't believe what we believe, and yet they truly defend our right to assemble and worship and fully practice our beliefs without interference. That's no small thing.
  • I'm so thankful to live in the world's only Jewish State that also works hard to protect the political and religious freedoms of her Arab citizens -- Christians, Muslims, agnostics, atheists and others -- and grants Arab citizens the right to vote, has Arabs who serve in the Knesset, serve in the police and military, even serve on the Supreme Court, and are vital and valued members of the society.
  • I'm thankful to be able to live in a nation that is an oasis of freedom and security in a region that's on fire.
  • I'm thankful for all the Evangelical and Messianic Jews we have met and had the joy of becoming friends with throughout the Land, including so many pastors and ministry leaders and their wives and kids.
  • I'm thankful for all the dear Palestinians that Lynn and I have had the honor of meeting and befriending in recent years, especially the Evangelical pastors and ministry leaders and their wives and children living in the West Bank and in Gaza.
  • I'm very thankful for the opportunity to travel to visit our neighbors in Jordan not once but twice this year, including five extraordinary and special days with King Abdullah II and his advisors, such an amazing visit that Lynn and I will always cherish.
  • I'm deeply thankful for our Joshua Fund team who are so faithful in blessing Israel and her neighbors in the name of Jesus, according to Genesis 12:1-3.
  • I'm thankful for the Holy Scriptures -- the very words of the living God -- whom the Jewish and Christian scribes have so carefully and courageously copied and transmitted to us down through the ages.
  • I'm thankful for the ancient Hebrew prophets like Micah who told us exactly where the Messiah would one day be born so we wouldn't have to wonder or worry about it. "But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth are from long ago, from the days of eternity.” (Micah 5:2)
  • I'm thankful for the ancient Hebrew prophets like Isaiah who told us the Messiah would live and minister in the Galilee region, bring light to those in darkness, come as a human baby boy, but also be El Gibor -- Mighty God -- and the One who would bring forgiveness and thus peace between us and God. "In earlier times He treated the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali with contempt, but later on He shall make it glorious, by the way of the sea, on the other side of Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles....The people who walk in darkness will see a great light; those who live in a dark land, the light will shine on them....For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; and the government will rest on His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace." (Isaiah 9:1-6)
  • I'm deeply thankful for all of our family and friends back in the States who have prayed for us, encouraged us, and even come to visit us in Israel over the past few years -- and so grateful that we could come back to spend the holiday season with them this year.
  • Above us, I am thankful to the God of Israel -- and His Son, Yeshua -- who has shown such mercy to me and my family, showered us with His grace and even adopted us into His royal family.
So on behalf of my family and our dear friends and colleagues at The Joshua Fund, allow me to wish our Jewish and Israeli friends a very Happy Hanukkah season -- and to all of our friends who are followers of Jesus, allow me to wish you a very Merry Christmas!
———————-—-
joelcrosenberg | December 25, 2016 at 12:18 am | Categories: Epicenter | URL: http://wp.me/piWZ7-6nv

Tuesday, August 16, 2016

Netanyahu Celebrates Egyptian Revolution Day - Yossi Aloni ISRAEL TODAY

Netanyahu Celebrates Egyptian Revolution Day

Tuesday, August 16, 2016 |  Yossi Aloni  ISRAEL TODAY
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife, Sara, last month took part in the celebration of Egypt’s Revolution Day (July 23) at the residence of Egyptian ambassador Hazem Khairat.
It was the first time since 2009 that Netanyahu has participated in the event.
Relations between Israel and Egypt were increasingly strained in recent years, and hit a low point during the short tenure of Muslim Brotherhood President Mohammed Morsi.
But despite an overall chilly atmosphere, the official working relationship between Netanyahu’s government and new Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi is considered good. Netanyahu has even endorsed an initiative by el-Sisi to broker Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.
Israeli President Reuven Rivlin was also in attendance, and told his Egyptian hosts, in Arabic, that “Israel stands by Egypt in its fight against terrorism. Our struggle will help the entire region and all of mankind. …Thirty-seven years of peace [between Israel and Egypt] is a testimony and we must learn from this for future generations.”
Netanyahu also spoke, congratulating the Egyptians on their Revolution Day, and noting that they and the Israelis are “two ancient peoples with a glorious history. Our two peoples laid the foundation for a human culture that has endured thousands of years, and today we must join hands and fight against those who would destroy our civilization. We must join hands in peace.”
Want more news from Israel?
Click Here to sign up for our FREE daily email updates

Thursday, December 24, 2015

This Christmas, Israel Celebrates New Trend of Israeli Arab Christians Joining IDF By Abra Forman - BREAKING ISRAEL NEWS


Father Gabriel Naddaf hosts a Christmas celebration for Arab Christian IDF soldiers. (Photo Credit: Courtesy of Israeli Christians Recruitment Forum.)

Father Gabriel Naddaf hosts a Christmas celebration for Arab Christian IDF soldiers. (Photo Credit: Courtesy of Israeli Christians Recruitment Forum.)


This Christmas, Israel Celebrates New Trend of Israeli Arab Christians Joining IDF


“Now it came about when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing opposite him with his sword drawn in his hand, and Joshua went to him and said to him, ‘Are you for us or for our adversaries?’ He said, ‘No; rather I indeed come now as captain of the host of the LORD.’” (Joshua 5:13-14)
As Christmas approaches, an Israeli priest is spearheading a program to dramatically increase the number of Christian Arabs enlisting and serving in the Israeli Defense Forces. The Israeli Christian Recruitment Forum, led by Greek Orthodox priest Father Gabriel Naddaf of Nazareth, aims to double the number of Christian Arabs enlisting and serving in the Israeli Defense Forces.
The Forum, which is supported by the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, has seen a huge jump in numbers since it began its work. It saw a 50% increase from its founding year in 2012, in which only 40 Christian drafted to the Israeli army, to 2014, when over 100 drafted. In March of 2015 alone, 102 Christian Arabs entered the IDF due to the work of the Forum.
Israeli law does not require minorities in the Jewish State to serve in the IDF, so all of the Arab Christians recruits are choosing to volunteer. A notable exception has always been the Israeli Druze community, which is proudly Zionist and has served in the IDF since the state’s creation in 1948. Now, Father Naddaf hopes that some of the 165,000 Arab Christians in Israel will follow in the Druze’s footsteps.
The Bridge Builder: The Life and Continuing Legacy of Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein - Read Now!
The initiative is really part of a larger movement by Father Naddaf to recast the entire Arab Christian population as a group which, like the Druze, identifies as patriotic Israelis, rather than enemies of Israel. He aims to integrate the minority into mainstream Israeli society. Father Naddaf has even coined a new moniker for the community, calling its members “Israeli Christians” rather than Arab Christians.
He explained, “Calling them ‘Arab-Christian’ puts them on the side of Palestinians and terrorists, when in reality they’ve lived in Israel for generations and just want to live in peace and security.”
While the Forum, which also gives financial aid to needy Christian families in Israel and discharged IDF soldiers, does not receive government support, Father Naddaf and the Fellowship were recognized by Israel’s Defense Minister, Moshe Ya’alon, in a Jerusalem ceremony last week.
At the ceremony, Father Naddaf thanked “Christian donors around the world” for supporting him through the Fellowship, saying, “Your assistance is essential for the strength of Israeli society.” He added, “This society will achieve peace and defeat evil.”

Father Gabriel Naddaf hosts Arab Israeli IDF soldiers in a Christmas celebration. (Photo Credit: Courtesy of Israeli Christians Recruitment Forum.)
Father Gabriel Naddaf hosts Arab Israeli IDF soldiers in a Christmas celebration. (Photo Credit: Courtesy of Israeli Christians Recruitment Forum.)

On Monday, Father Naddaf hosted a festive Christmas party for some of the Israeli Christian soldiers that the Forum has helped to enlist, distributing holiday treats and thanking them for their service to Israel.
The Christian population of Israel is one of the largest Arab Christian communities in the world, and the only one in the Middle East region which is actually showing signs of population growth. While Christians are often persecuted for their religious beliefs in the Middle East, to the point of kidnapping and wholesale murder in the case of the Islamic State, Israel’s Christian population is free to worship as it wishes. It is also one of the best-educated populations in the country.

Sunday, March 2, 2014

Israeli Army Celebrates Diversity - Israel Today

Israeli Army Celebrates Diversity

Sunday, March 02, 2014 |  Israel Today Staff  
The IDF may be the army of the Jewish state, but that doesn’t mean it’s comprised solely of Jewish men and women. Many from among Israel’s minorities choose willingly to join the IDF and take part in the defense of this nation that has provided them with civil rights and freedoms unprecedented throughout the rest of the Middle East.
To celebrate this fact, the IDF last week marked its annual diversity week, “a celebration of the differences that unite Israeli soldiers,” according to the army’s official blog.
In fact, diversity for the IDF is not a simple concept, and has several different meanings. As the national homeland and haven for all Jews worldwide, Israel is home to Jewish immigrants coming from hundreds of different nations and cultures, all of whom must be meshed together into a unified and effective fighting force.
On top of that, Israel is home to various non-Jewish minorities, including Arab Muslims, Druze, Circassians, Armenians, and Aramean Christians. Excluding the Druze, these minorities are not required to serve in the IDF, but each year hundreds volunteer, anyway.
To accommodate soldiers from numerous different backgrounds, the IDF makes clear that while it is the army of the Jewish state, it is an army that is not only for Jewish people.
For instance, during their swearing in ceremony, IDF recruits can choose to pledge their loyalty upon either the Tanakh (Old Testament), the New Testament or the Koran. Soldiers of different religious backgrounds are also given different and appropriate holiday vacation days.
Diversity for the IDF also applies to gender. In the Israeli army, 92 percent of all available positions, including many combat roles, are open to female recruits.
During IDF Diversity Week last year (2013), the official IDF magazine BeMahane published a story on two Arab Muslim brothers from the Galilee who decided to break local societal norms and join the Israeli army.
Their account and reasons for serving their country are worth a read. Click here to do so.
Want more news from Israel?
Click Here to sign up for our FREE daily email updates from ISRAEL TODAY.