Israel Announces Plans for Celebration of Independence Day Next Week

Complete plans for the official celebration of Israel’s 14th annual Independence Day, to be observed formally next Wednesday, were announced here today. The modern State of Israel was officially born at 12:01 A. M., on May 15, 1948, which was the 5th of Iyar on the Hebrew calendar–falling this year on May 9.

In accordance with Hebrew custom, under which holidays are launched the evening before the set date, Independence Day will be inaugurated Tuesday, at 8:30 P.M. At that hour, 12 torches, symbolic of the 12 ancient tribes of Israel, will be lighted simultaneously here on Mount Herzl, the heights dedicated to the memory of the late Dr. Theoder Herzl, father of political Zionism. At the same moment, gala events will be launched in more than 800 Israeli cities, towns, villages and settlements.

With “Security and Defense,” the central theme of this year’s celebrations, Israel’s Army and Navy will play significant roles in the scheduled events. The traditional Independence Day military parade will be held at Tel Aviv. The entire diplomatic corps stationed in Israel has been invited and is expected to attend as guests of President Izhak Ben-Zvi. Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion, flanked by the topmost officers of Israel’s defense forces, will take the salute in his capacity of Minister of Defense.

The Government has invited 500 visitors from foreign countries to watch the parade. Among the special guests expected are the President of Gabon, the Defense Minister of Liberia, the Chief of Staff of the Senegalese Defense Forces, and a group of French Army officers. Arrangements have been made to seat about 11,000 tourists in the reviewing stands. There will also be special sections for about 4,000 members of families of Israel heroes who had given their lives for the State, and for disabled veterans.

The Army and the Navy will also observe their separate celebrations, the Army having invited 10,000 children to its camps while the Navy has invited 800 youngsters. All Naval ships will be open to the public on Independence Day.

However, the major theme of security and defense will not overshadow the cultural aspects of the usual Independence Day celebration. At the Hebrew University, the annual Israel Prizes will be awarded by Minister of Education and Culture Abba Eban. At the same time, the annual Israel Book Week will be inaugurated. And Kol Israel, the state-operated broadcast service, has scheduled a special festival of Israel songs and melodies, to be broadcast throughout the week.