May 14, 2024
Israel Independence Day 2024
This Doodle’s Key Themes
Today’s Doodle celebrates Israel’s Independence Day. On this day in 1948, David Ben Gurion read Israel’s Declaration of Independence to a crowd in Tel Aviv. The holiday, also known as Yom Ha’atzmaut, always falls on the 5th day of the Hebrew month Iyar, but it may be moved a day or two so the holiday doesn’t fall on the Sabbath.
The nation starts celebrations at sunset. In Jerusalem, government officials typically give speeches, and 12 torches that represent the 12 tribes of Israel are lit at a ceremony. The blue and white Israeli flag, like the one waving in today’s Doodle, is raised to the top of a flagpole and can be seen waving all throughout the country.
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