Israel celebrates 78th Independence Day with torch-lighting ceremony at Mt Herzl in Jerusalem

The State of Israel marked its 78th Independence Day on Tuesday evening with the traditional torch-lighting ceremony at Mount Herzl in Jerusalem. The event follows Memorial Day, a day of national remembrance for fallen Israeli soldiers and victims of terrorism.

The ceremony is held in an open, invite-only format at the plaza, with senior officials, invited guests, and torch-lighters present, and is broadcast live on Israeli television and streamed nationwide.

The celebration at Mount Herzl was overseen by Culture and Sports Minister Miri Regev and attended by senior officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana.

Argentina's president Javier Milei, who was visiting Israel this week, was invited to light a torch but ultimately decided to return home to Argentina before the ceremony began. However, Milei received a warm reception when he performed the Spanish song “Libre” (Free) together with the singers Lila Malkus and Hananel Edri during the rehearsal.

During his address, Netanyahu hailed Israel's emergence as a regional powerhouse and its strong alliance with the United States.

“Israel is stronger than ever, and together with the United States, we are leading the fight against the forces of evil in the world,” the prime minister stated.

He emphasized that Israel and the U.S. had seriously degraded the Iranian-led terrorist axis in the Middle East, which includes proxies like Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in Gaza and the Houthis in Yemen.

“We dealt a heavy blow to Iran’s regime of terror, harming its ability to endanger us. We strengthened Israel’s position as a regional power. We forged new alliances and opened the door to expanding the circle of peace,” Netanyahu continued.

“We dealt a heavy blow to Iran’s regime of terror, harming its ability to endanger us. We strengthened Israel’s position as a regional power. We forged new alliances and opened the door to expanding the circle of peace,” adding that these achievements were made possible through Israel’s soldiers and citizens, as well as “the courageous decisions we made.”

Talik Gvili, mother of the late Sgt. Maj. Ran Gvili, was chosen as one of this year’s torch-lighters. Gvili was killed by Hamas terrorists during the Oct. 7 attack on Israel in 2023. Hamas operatives later took Gvili’s body into Gaza, and he became known as Israel’s last hostage in Gaza.

This year’s torch-lighters also included Brig.-Gen. (res.) Gal Hirsch, the Israeli government's coordinator for hostages and missing persons; IDF soldier Ari Spitz, who was seriously wounded in fighting in northern Gaza; Ora Hatan, a northern border resident who remained in her home and prepared food for IDF troops during the war with Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon; and Tamer Atallah, a member of Israel’s Druze community.

Modern Israel’s founding father, David Ben-Gurion, who served as the country’s first prime minister, made history on May 14, 1948, when he declared the establishment of the State of Israel, the first Jewish state in over 2,000 years.