2024 presents Israel’s 76th birthday since its rebirth as a nation in 1948; Following Yom HaZikaron (Memorial Day), the atmosphere will turn from mourning to joy as people throughout the Jewish State begin the celebration of Yom Ha’Atzmaut (Independence Day).
Sundown on Monday will mark the beginning of Yom Ha’Atzmaut when mourning will turn to joy as Israelis celebrate what they’ve held so dearly for 76 years now – Divinely-appointed independence foretold 2,500 years ago.
Isaiah 66:8 KJV – “Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children.”
After dedicating the solemn day of Yom HaZikaron to remember those who have gone before them, Israelis will celebrate their 76th year of independence as a nation on Yom Ha’Atzmaut. Independence Day was strategically placed after Memorial Day in recognition of the reality that without the brave sacrifice of so many Jewish men and women in Israel’s history, there would be no independence.
1948 marked the rebirth of the nation of Israel when the Jewish people declared independence in their homeland in the aftermath of World War II. Their independence was made official on May 14, 1948, with the signing of the Declaration of Independence in Tel Aviv. However, Yom Ha’Atzmaut is not recognized annually on that date, but rather, it is celebrated on the third of Iyar on the Jewish calendar.
It was only a matter of hours before five different Arab nations acted on a mutual interest of eradicating the name of Israel from the face of the earth after the nation was born on May 14, 1948. Jordan, Egypt, Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon all attacked the Jewish State the very next day, which is known as the Arab-Israeli war of 1948. God’s hand in the deliverance and survival of the Jewish people is a story like no other. Miracle after miracle took place, whether it be the Lord instilling fear in the heart of their enemies or His miraculous intervention when soldiers were in a seemingly irredeemable situation.
Psalm 83:3-4 KJV – “They have taken crafty counsel against thy people, and consulted against thy hidden ones. They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance.”
Tragically, this same evil spirit is alive and well today. Independence Day will be observed in the midst of political and wartime turmoil following the October 7, 2023, massacre, which was carried out by Hamas terrorists from the Gaza Strip. On the morning of October 7, numerous terrorists infiltrated the country determined to kidnap, rape, and slaughter as many Jews as possible. Sadly, they were successful, as over 1,200 innocent Jews – men, women, elderly, and children – suffered the very fate(s) previously listed. It goes without saying that the heartbeat of this year’s Independence Day is going to be different than that of previous years, especially given the reality that the Israel-Hamas War remains ongoing.
From Holocaust survivors to a radiant, thriving nation, Israel now has one of the leading economies and militaries in the world. Israel’s population today is over 9 million people.
