May 15th will mark the 70th anniversary of the Israeli Declaration of Independence. In Israel the actual Independence Day, Yom Ha-atz-maut is celebrated according to the Jewish calendar which is on the 5th day of the month of Iyar. This year it fell in the middle of April.

It is interesting to note the real meaning of the term "Independence Day. It marks the  original date of a nation's independence. If an independent nation suddenly finds itself occupied by a foreign nation or several nations in succession and then finally frees itself,  its independent day celebration would still be the original date before  the occupation.     

Therefore  the celebration of Israel's independence day  on Iyar 5 1948 is not accurate  and in fact may be detrimental to the state of Israel. Claiming that Israel became independent in 1948 allows the Arabs and their many supporters to claim (as they have being doing)  that  the Jews had nothing to do with the holy land until they started illegally occupying it at the beginning of the 20th century. This is exactly why the Arab claim is that in 1948 Israel became an independent country for the first time ever on land not belonging to them.

The truth is that Israel was independent from the 12th century BCE to the 5th century BCE. It was then conquered  by a foreign army only to be liberated  in the 1st century BCE by the Maccabees. It was then occupied again  by a long succession of foreign invaders including  the Moslems, Ottomans (Turks) and the British.

 It is also interesting to note that over these dark centuries there were several Jewish  attempts to regain control over the land.  These were naive messianic attempts and not military attempts. Because of the long history of independent living in the land of Israel the modern term  Israel Independence Day is no doubt misleading.  

It is my opinion that Israel's Independence Day should officially be named "Israel's Day of Regaining Independence.”

Yea, I know, it will never fly,  but it is a thought...   

May  Israel continue to stand for Truth, Peace and Light.     

Rabbi David