60th Anniversary of Israel May 8 – 14th, 1948

The logo for the commemoration of Israel’s 60th anniversary, illuminated at the top of the Foreign Ministry building in Jerusalem.

The IDF

This year marks the 60th anniversary of the founding of the State of Israel (May 14) and the war that broke out immediately afterwards as Arab armies attempted to destroy the UN-sanctioned Jewish state at birth.
Palestinians will mark the following day as The Nakba — a day of mourning. The Nakba, or the catastrophe.

Ben Gurion – 1948

On May 14, 1948 Israel declared its independence.
A day later it was invaded on four fronts by the armies of Lebanon, Syria, Transjordan, Egypt and Iraq. They all promised, in the words of Azzam Pasha, Secretary-General of the Arab League, “a war of extermination and a momentous massacre”.
Against the well-equipped Arab armies stood poorly armed Jewish forces dedicated to protecting a country whose population totaled just 650,000 men, women and children. Not only did Israel’s young soldiers stop the Arab onslaught, but – with more bravery than bullets – they went on to create a military triumph that ensured the survival of the new Jewish State.
It is the story of courage and determination in the face of impossible odds. It is the saga of a people who finally returned to their homeland after 2,000 years.
(IsraelNN.com)

Leaders among cities of Arabs enjoying Israeli citizenship have systematically rejected celebrations of the State of Israel’s 60th anniversary, with only one community agreeing to take part in recognition of Israel’s special day. Arabs refer to the creation of the Jewish state in 1948 as the “nakba” – catastrophe.

Israeli Public Security Minister Avi Dichter called on Arabs to reconsider, saying that they will celebrate Israel’s 70th and 80th anniversaries. He also told a crowd in Shfaram – the only town of Arabs with Israeli citizenship that will participate in the festivities – that “whoever speaks for 60 years about the ‘catastrophe’ befalling them will suffer a real catastrophe in the end.”

Israel will celebrate in style with laser shows, parades, other extravagant events. New bike paths, as well as 60 playgrounds, picnic sites to open in honor of country’s Independence Day.