Israel Independence Day

Yom Ha'atzma'ut, Israel Independence Day, marks the anniversary of the day on which Israel declared its independence, on May 14 (5 Iyar), 1948. It is an Israeli national holiday.

It will next be celebrated on April 29, 2020.

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Why Live In Israel Today?

by Rebecca Rubinstein

Despite the uncertainty and threat of terror, Israelis are here to stay.

Roadblocks of the Spirit

by Danny Verbov

An Israeli reserve soldier describes his experience guarding a roadblock.

Sending Our Son to the I.D.F.

by David Bedein

Emotions run high as one Israeli family sends their first-born son off to the army.

We Are Not Moving

by Liba Pearson

Our enemies seek to destroy more than our bodies: it is our spirit. It is in this that they are most mistaken. Nothing is so indomitable as the Jewish spirit.

The Mother Brigade

by Liba Pearson

My mother led a one-woman solidarity mission to Israel to prop up the nation's economy and flagging spirits.

A Zionist Manifesto

by Sara Yoheved Rigler

Is Israel fighting a losing battle?

Help Israel Now

by Rabbi Shimon Apisdorf

In difficult times, we can't continue as if nothing has happened.

Israel Now

by Tefilla Buxbaum

Is the future of American Jewry secure?

Israel's Right to the Land

by Senator Jim Inhofe

A skillful presentation by U.S. Senator James Inhofe (R-Oklahoma) on the Senate floor, March 4, 2002.

Why Support Israel?

by Victor Davis Hanson

If Israel were wiped out tomorrow, Europeans would ask for a brief minute of silence, then sigh relief, and roll up their sleeves to get down to trade and business.

Top 53 Reasons We Love Israel

by aish.com

Israel holds a special place in the hearts of people everywhere. Here are our readers' top 53 reasons we love the land and its people.

Nothing for Granted

by Liba Pearson

Yom Ha'atzmaut marks the moment when Israel burst into being. More than ever, it's nothing to be taken for granted.

ISRAEL: What's Taking so Long

by Sol Jakubowicz

Making Aliyah is no picnic. But the daily challenges are insignificant since I'm playing a vital role in the Jewish people's destined return to the land of Israel.

Living Here

by Sarah Shapiro

On a bus in Jerusalem, all eyes followed the girl who suddenly broke down and cried.

His Name Was Nachshon Wachsman

by Esther Wachsman

A mother, who mobilized the world to save her son -- an Israeli soldier kidnapped by Hamas terrorists -- tells the story of one fateful week in the history of Israel.

To Restore Our Destiny

by Rabbi Noah Weinberg

Israel Independence Day is the time to ask: Where have we been, and where are we heading?

Still Crazy: Why We Made Aliyah

by Sol Jakubowicz

For 2,000 years of exile, Jews had cried and prayed to return to the land. Now we can do it just by hopping on a plane, so why don't we?

A Place to Sigh: Israel Memorial Day

by Yaffa Ganz

Thousands of strangers come to the funeral of a soldier who was kidnapped, tortured and killed because of his Star of David.

A Different Kind of Independence

by Mara (Frei) Goldblatt

A survivor of an Arab terrorist attack tells of her battle to be liberated from the scars of her experience.

Israeli Army Vignettes

by Rabbi Ken Spiro, Stuart Schrader & Rabbi Kalman Packouz

Ahh the joys of army service: figuring out the difference between the dress and work uniform ... keeping your fingers out of the gun barrel ... fasting in the desert heat ...

Israel's Strength

by Rabbi Berel Wein

National strength isn't defined by military might alone. It's also based on unity, mutual respect, and a clear sense of purpose.

A Letter From the Front Line

by Danny Verbov

This letter was written by Danny Verbov, the director of Aish HaTorah's Danny Frei Jerusalem Fellowship Program, and sent to the global Aish HaTorah family.