Middle East & Africa | A contentious birthday

Israel’s angsty 75th anniversary

Fierce internal divisions will define the country’s next chapter

A woman walks past a store that sells balloons for the upcoming Israel's 75th Independence Day, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Sunday, April 23, 2023. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)
Image: AP
|BNEI BRAK, JERUSALEM AND TEL AVIV

EVERY year, around this time, Israel makes an abrupt transition from sorrow to joy. First the country comes to a halt for Memorial Day. Families visit army cemeteries; television channels show the names of fallen soldiers. Then, as day turns to dusk, mourning turns to joy in celebration of Israel’s independence.

This article appeared in the Middle East & Africa section of the print edition under the headline “An angsty anniversary”

From the April 29th 2023 edition

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