Ruptly
"Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu marked the nation’s 78th Independence Day on Tuesday evening with a tribute to the fallen and a call for national resilience amid regional volatility and a looming deadline for international diplomacy. “Together we've built a stronger Israel, a regional power, forging new alliances and opening new paths to peace. And as we celebrate our independence, we remember those we lost. Our sons and daughters whose sacrifice makes this moment possible. We embrace their families and pray for the healing of the wounded in body and spirit,” Netanyahu said. “In this generation, we rose against our enemies. We rose like lions, we fought like lions. We acted boldly to remove existential threats, the threats of nuclear weapons, and thousands of missiles aimed at our cities,” the Prime Minister added, referencing Operation Epic Fury. Independence Day, which starts on Tuesday evening, immediately follows Yom Hazikaron, or Memorial Day, which is especially poignant this year as it coincides with a fragile 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, brokered by US President Donald Trump on 15 April. While active combat has paused, the IDF remains deployed in a newly established 10-kilometre ‘security zone’ inside Lebanese territory. Meanwhile, a separate 14-day truce between Washington and Tehran is set to expire on Wednesday following the collapse of diplomatic talks in Islamabad, leaving the region on the brink of resumed hostilities. Netanyahu also addressed a global rise in anti-Semitism, urging Jewish communities worldwide to resist growing hostility. “We have to fight back against the physical attacks, against our communities, our brethren in Australia, in America, in Europe, elsewhere. And I urge you, my brothers and sisters, stand up. Don't cower before this, this evil, because people respect only those who respect themselves. Don't bend your head. Don't bow down before evil. Stand up. Be counted. We are one and we shall win,” he noted. Israel’s Independence Day commemorates the Israeli Declaration of Independence on 14 May 1948. It is marked by a variety of official and unofficial ceremonies and observances. The central event is the State Ceremony at Mount Herzl, which features the lighting of 12 torches."
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