Celebrations and memorials Israeli style

At sundown today, May 1, Israelis will conclude a trio of important anniversaries. These anniversaries began with Holocaust Remembrance Day on April 23-24 (Yom HaShoah) and include two back-to-back days, Memorial Day on April 30 and Independence Day May 1. Israelis remember their fallen soldiers and victims of terror on Memorial Day, then right away on May 1, joyous celebrations of Israel’s miraculous modern state break out. It may seem unusual to mark the solemnity of Memorial Day and high-spirited Independence Day one after the other. Then again, it is a portrait of Israel’s twin culture, where the strong bond between the sacrifices of the fallen and the miraculous establishment of the modern State of Israel are evident. 

Memorial Day (Yom HaZikaron) is set aside to express grief, yet Independence Day (Yom HaAtzmaut) is a time for joy. As is the custom on Memorial Day, the entire country comes to a halt for one minute after country-wide sirens blare. Vehicles stop on highways, drivers get out of their cars, and people stand in silent stillness in stores, on sidewalks, and in homes. The opening state ceremony for Memorial Day is held at the Western Wall. Military events occur to honor the national sacrifices, flags are lowered nationwide, and graves are visited. The end of Memorial Day is officially marked with a torch lighting ceremony on Mount Herzl, site of Israel’s national military cemetery named for Theodor Herzl, the father of the modern Jewish state. This solemn event signals the end of Memorial Day and officially opens the Independence Day celebrations. 

This year, the number of deaths from war and terrorism have increased dramatically amid ongoing terror assaults of every kind. The Defense Ministry’s annual reporting shows that since last Memorial Day, 316 soldiers have fallen and 79 civilians were killed in such attacks. These losses are annually noted in numbers dating back to 1851 and 1860! Since 1851, Arab terrorists have killed 5,229 Jewish civilians. Added together, 25,417 IDF soldiers, police officers, prison wardens, Shin Bet security service, and Mossad agents have been killed defending the land of Israel since 1860—the year that Jewish settlers ventured outside the walls of Jerusalem to build new neighborhoods. And when we include civilians killed in terror attacks since 1851, the total rises to 30,646! 

It is important to note that every Jewish Israeli—almost without exception—knows someone who has died in war, civilian terror, or both. Israel is one of the smallest nations in the world. Its Jewish population is currently estimated at 7.7 million Jews, with a total population of nearly 10 million citizens. Israel’s diverse citizens include 2 million Arab Israelis and minorities of Christians, Druze, and Bedouins who enjoy the same freedoms, including freedom of worship. 

Worldwide, the Jewish population stands at 15.8 million. With over 8 billion people in the world, compare these startling numbers: Muslims are estimated at around 2 billion people. Islam is the second-largest religion in the world, topped only by Christianity. A surprising and sad commentary about the world Jewish population is that right before World War II, it was 16.6 million. In 1948, when the modern State of Israel was established, the world Jewish population was 11.5 million.

Jews have slowly regained their pre-World War II population, but it has been difficult amid repeated attempts to wipe the Jewish nation and people off the map. Hours after Israel’s first prime minister, David Ben-Gurion, read their Declaration of Independence on May 14, 1948, Jews who had been dancing in the streets were quickly forced into defending themselves with inadequate weapons against Arab aggressions—aggressions that have never stopped. As evident by the biggest conflicts—1948/49, 1956, 1967, 1973, 1982, 2006, two Intifadas, Hamas rockets for decades, and the most devastating, October 7, 2023—Israel’s enemies still do not understand: The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in His sovereign plans will win in the end, no matter what. Those enemies include the Islamic Regime—the world’s biggest exporter of terror.  

Despite their seasons of tragic history, the unstoppable resilience of the Jewish people is especially in evidence on Independence Day, with cookouts, music, and dancing. Each year of surviving Jew hatred and celebrating their freedom in their own land is a reminder to those who hate them: That the chosen people, the Jews, are here to stay. Despite runaway antisemitism and war, Israel is still a blessing to the world—with its massive innovations that make the quality of life better on nearly every continent. 

Deuteronomy 7:6 makes it clear: The LORD your God has chosen you to be His own possession out of all the peoples on the face of the earth. What we owe the Jews is far beyond their modern innovations. God’s chosen scribes for the Old and New Testaments have told us that the pinnacle of God’s love is giving us salvation by sending His Son to earth through the Jewish people and culture, to pay our debt of sin on the cross. All who ask, receive this gift! 

 That, my Christian friends, is why we support Israel. This tiny nation figures large in God’s eternal plans for both Gentiles and Jews who believe in Jesus’ sacrifice and resurrection. While we Christians are often wrongly thought to idolize the Jews and Israel, they—like us—are imperfect. We care for Israel because God makes it plain that we are to stand with them, because God chose them in a world-changing role for every imperfect person ever born.  

Despite the Jew hatred, including the digital domain that unleashes its relentless spewing of accusations and lies, Israel still exists amid every attempt by her enemies to erase her existence. 

Meanwhile, Christian and Jewish Zionists must suit up in the mantle of biblical truth found in the Old and New Testaments. Let us make sure we rely on the facts of the Bible that Israel is the ancient and modern ancestral homeland and Jews are the indigenous people. Prayer and helpful advocacy go hand in hand. 

This article originally appeared here and is reposted with permission.