As of two weeks ago, many in Israel considered it a likely possibility that Independence Day celebrations would be shelved just as their Purim and Passover plans had been, marking another holiday running to bomb shelters and dodging missiles, rockets and drones rather than getting together with friends and family or going out for the day’s festivities.

But with ceasefires with both Iran and Hezbollah holding, even if both are somewhat shaky, the party is back on. Cities are once again planning concerts, street performances and other public celebrations for Tuesday night and Wednesday, and people across the country are gearing up to throng beaches, parks and backyards to mark Israel’s 78th birthday.

Still, some are opting for more subdued festivities, with many still recovering from a month of deadly bombardments from Iran and its Lebanon-based proxy, which continued lobbing rockets at northern Israel for an additional nine days after the war in Iran was suspended.

“This year we will celebrate Independence Day differently,” said Karmiel Mayor Moshe Koninsky, whose Galilee city was pounded by Hezbollah. Koninsky said he had opted out of large-scale performances, deciding to hold smaller local events instead. “We will pray for better, quieter days — and celebrate in a big way this summer.”

On Saturday night, the Home Front Command lifted all remaining restrictions on public gatherings nationwide, and Culture and Sport Minister Miki Zohar announced that there would be no limits on cultural and sporting events, paving the way for full-scale Independence Day celebrations after weeks of disruption.

The curbs were removed even though the two-week ceasefire with Iran reached on April 8 is set to expire late Wednesday. US President Donald Trump signaled Sunday that talks with Iran on extending the truce would resume on Tuesday, though the Islamic Republic indicated it was not planning to send a delegation and was pessimistic about the prospects of the talks. Still, many believe the ceasefire will be extended. A more fragile 10-day ceasefire with Hezbollah that began on Friday is set to extend into next week.

Different styles of celebration

In recent days, several municipalities said they would proceed with Independence Day activities as usual, while others opted for scaled-down or community-based celebrations.

In Jerusalem, a slate of Israeli artists — including Noa Kirel and Itay Levy — are set to perform at Independence Park in the city center, alongside additional live shows throughout the city.

“Everyone is invited to come, celebrate and enjoy a special Independence Day in Jerusalem,” the municipality said.

Other cities, such as Eilat, Sderot and Raanana, are expected to host similar performances.

By contrast, Tel Aviv, typically at the heart of Israel’s party scene, is opting for more restrained celebrations. The municipality said it would mark Independence Day “with smaller, community-based events primarily for families and children at local community centers across the city,” the municipality said.

As in recent years, an annual fireworks display is being shelved to spare those scarred by Israel’s various military engagements over the years.

In 2022, Tel Aviv was one of several major cities in Israel, along with Herzliya and Netanya, that announced that they would no longer be holding fireworks shows, citing objections from military veterans who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder.

Myriam, a Tel Aviv mother of two, said her family planned to mark Independence Day through small events in her community — with caveats.

Their synagogue will host a ceremony on Tuesday evening marking the transition from Memorial Day, along with family activities.

“We feel comfortable doing this because our synagogue has a bomb shelter,” she said.

During the day, Myriam said her family will keep it low-key with a barbecue at home, noting that they are “ready for the contingency plan of just being home and doing nothing.”

Some northern Israeli communities that were pummeled by Hezbollah rocket fire for more than six weeks are also holding limited celebrations.

In the northern city of Nahariya, the municipality said it would be putting on small community events in place of larger celebrations, with planned street performances and DJ booths across the city.

Eytan, a resident of Nahariya, told The Times of Israel that after weeks of constant sirens and several rocket impacts in the city, he is not interested in festivities.

“I don’t want to celebrate — I want quiet,” he said, adding that independence is not just a day in the year for him — it’s a feeling.

Managing a local home for lone soldiers through the Achai Foundation, Eytan explained that while commemorating Independence Day remains important to him, he will stop short of outright celebrations this year.

“I see the soldiers leaving for reserve duty and returning, and soldiers in mandatory service remaining deployed for long stretches of time — I see the strain, I see the exhaustion,” he said. “I see people’s desire to finally have quiet and calm souls, so that we will actually be able to fully celebrate things.”

Farther north, the border city of Kiryat Shmona has yet to announce any public celebrations for this year’s Independence Day. The municipality staged a citywide shutdown on Sunday in protest of the Lebanon ceasefire, condemning Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government for abandoning residents.

Other municipalities across the nation, including Haifa in the north and Ramat Gan in the center, said they would forgo large-scale performances due to the short notice following the Home Front Command’s decision to lift restrictions.

“There’s no point in going crazy at the last minute, under pressure and in haste, setting up huge stages in place of the neighborhood and community events that we have already prepared,” Ramat Gan mayor Carmel Shama-Hacohen said, pointing to the still “fluid” situation with Iran and ongoing “mishaps and fighting” in Lebanon.

In Haifa, a city official told Channel 12 that “it’s not possible to put on huge shows at a moment’s notice.”

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