At Mount Herzl in Jerusalem opened yesterday the celebrations of the 74th Independence Day of Israel

At Mount Herzl in Jerusalem opens tonight (Wednesday) the celebrations of the 74th Independence Day of the State of Israel with the traditional beacon lighting ceremony - which for the first time in two years was held without any corona restrictions, and thousands came to the audience. This year, the ceremony was held under the banner "A hand meets a sister's hand," and 13 Israelis were chosen to light the 12 beacons symbolizing the 12 tribes of Israel.
As a sign of consideration with the battle shocks, and as municipalities across the country have done, there will be no fireworks at the ceremony on Mount Herzl this year, but quiet pyrotechnics will be used. The ceremony will be led by Hila Korach and Almaz Mengistu. Along with the flag parade and performances by the dance troupes "Galley Rani" and "Move in Dance", the ceremony will feature singers Raviv Kinner, Sarit Hadad, Idan Amadi, Yizhar Cohen, Valery Hamati and the Blue Elephant Band.
The ceremony was held a decade after the death of the late Lieutenant Hila Bezalel, who was killed during rehearsals for the beacon lighting ceremony in 2012, and therefore her "Yizkor" prayer will be recited by her father Yaron Bezalel. Unlike his predecessor, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett will not deliver his own speech or send a videotaped greeting to the audience. His entry into the mountain plaza will also not be ceremonial, and he will sit in the stands with his family.
Among those who will light a beacon at the beacon ceremony is the Commander-in-Chief of the Chief of Staff H. His identity is banned from publicity, and unlike all other highs he will appear at the ceremony with a mask. H., who grew up in the elite police unit and has served in it for almost 30 years, will lead the beacon on behalf of the IDF, as well as on behalf of all Israeli police officers.
Singer Rita Yahan-Prose (60), known only by her first name, will also light a beacon. Last month, Minister of Culture Hili Trooper explained the choice of Brita, who immigrated from Tehran at the age of 8, as "an example and a combination of deep roots and outstretched wings.
Among the highlights of the beacon will be the activists for the rights of people with disabilities Idan Kaliman from Jerusalem, chairman of an IDF organization that was fatally wounded during an encounter with terrorists in Gaza and remained confined to a wheelchair; Kalman Samuels, 70, founder of Shalva, an organization for the treatment of people with disabilities and their integration into society, and Ashal Shavu, 28, from Ramat Gan, a player on the Israeli wheelchair basketball team, who lost his leg in a terrorist attack at the age of nine and lost his mother and three brothers.
One beacon will be brought together by Dr. Simcha Gethon (54) from Holon, chairman of the state corporation "Ethiopian Jewish Heritage Center", and one of the founders of the "Elem" association to help at-risk youth, and Angel Alon (72) from Netivot, mother of eight children For more than 30 years she has opened her home and cared for 217 infants and foster children at risk.
The Diaspora beacon will be carried by Elizabeth Cherstok, 51, from the Ukrainian city of Sumy, which heads the "Chesed Chaim" humanitarian aid center. With the outbreak of the war in the country she helped through her organization to deliver food to the elderly and disabled. She organized an operation to rescue 150 people, some in wheelchairs, from the city of Sumy which was then under Russian attack.
The head of the "One in One" organization, Yael Scherer (39) from Kochav Yair, who set up the lobby for the war on sexual violence, will also carry a beacon; And Uri and Mika Banki, who lost their 15-year-old daughter Shira when she was murdered during the Pride Parade in Jerusalem in 2015. They founded an organization that bears her name, and advocates action and educational-value change in order to promote tolerance and acceptance of the other in public space in Israel.
Beacons will also be led by Maj. Gen. Yoram Yair (Ye-Ya) Shmuel (77) from Hod Hasharon, who serves as chairman of the "Together for the Soldier" and "Beit Or Aviva" associations, as well as chairman of the "After Me!" Movement, which prepares youth And young people from the geographical and social periphery to serve in the IDF and to leadership positions in the community; To. Lt. Hadar Cohen of elite descent, a company commander of new immigrants in the Education Corps, will lead the IDF beacon.
The beacon ceremony opens the Independence Day celebrations around the country, and throughout the night masses of Israelis will spend time in the various shows and events held in each locality, although this time many local authorities decided to avoid fireworks out of consideration for battle victims who have difficulty dealing with explosions, as well as animals and the environment. . As in the ceremony on Mount Herzl, various authorities have chosen to use "silent fireworks" and others will hold laser and light shows.
Tomorrow, while the masses of Israeli citizens will meet with each other at the family and social barbecues, some of the traditional events of the holiday will also be held: The Central Air Force flight will take place between 10:30 and 13:30, and will pass over dozens of cities and major points throughout the country. In addition, there will be a civil flight in which all airlines in Israel will participate. At noon, the World Bible Quiz Ceremony will also be held, and in the evening, Independence Day will conclude with the Israel Prizes Ceremony.