Not Everyone Agrees With The Message
Today is Yom Ha’atzmaut. Israel Independence Day. It is the 70 year anniversary of the creation of Israel.
Israeli Independence Day Causes Controversy[/tweetthis]
The state has grown vastly since its inception. It has gone from 650,000 Jews to around 6.8 million. There has been growth in economic sectors, as well as territory gained from winning military victories.
But not everyone is excited about the day. Some individuals around the globe, including some prominent Jews, have argued that Yom Ha’atzmaut gives a singular vision of what it means to be Jewish. They claim it promotes the government of Israel, in particular, it’s politically right-leaning government and their policies. There has been recent controversy with the killing of a Palestinian journalist and the treatment of Arabs within the country as second-class citizens.
Some have argued that Yom Ha’atzmaut should only be celebrated within Israel and not given holiday status in other countries. On the other hand, with the rise in anti-Semitism in the western world, proponents of the holiday would counter that making it a holiday is precisely what is needed to combat misinformation that hate groups are spreading.
Trump tweeted congratulations to the country, which has remained one his closest foreign allies.
Best wishes to Prime Minister @Netanyahu and all of the people of Israel on the 70th Anniversary of your Great Independence. We have no better friends anywhere. Looking forward to moving our Embassy to Jerusalem next month!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 18, 2018