Israel’s national Independence Day, celebrating the 1948 declaration of statehood, is called Yom Ha’atzmaut in Hebrew.
Yom Ha’atzmaut commemorates the declaration of the State of Israel by David Ben-Gurion in Tel Aviv on 14 May 1948. Because the Hebrew calendar is lunisolar, the holiday’s Gregorian date changes each year and is observed on the 5th of Iyar, with adjustments when necessary for the Jewish Sabbath.
Celebrations commonly include official ceremonies, concerts, fireworks, flags, picnics, and public gatherings. The evening before is Yom HaZikaron, Israel’s Memorial Day, creating a deliberate transition from national mourning to celebration.
Yom Ha’atzmaut is often confused with Yom Yerushalayim, or Jerusalem Day, which commemorates events of 1967. They are separate observances with different historical meanings.