Yom Ha'atzmaut and Israeli symbols
Yom Ha’atzmaut (May 9), when we celebrate Israel’s 63 years of statehood, is a good opportunity to mention some Israeli symbols:

The blue and white Israeli flag was "born" at the first Zionist Congress held in Basel, Switzerland in 1897. The agenda of this congress focused on establishing a homeland for Jews in Palestine. During one of the meetings, Theodor Herzl raised the question of a flag and proposed a white banner with seven gold stars. Activist David Wolffsohn stood up and said, "Why do we have to search? Here is our national flag." Then he displayed his tallit (prayer shawl), a white field with blue stripes along the margin.  The flag became known as the Flag of Zion, and the state of Israel later adopted the design upon its independence from the United Kingdom in 1948.
On the week of Yom Ha'atzmaut, the Israeli flag can be seen waving from cars, windows, official buildings--everywhere. The entire country is decorated in blue and white. On the day of Yom Hazikaron, Israel's Memorial Day for Israeli fallen soldiers, many Israelis wear white shirts with blue pants or skirts, the colors of the flag.

The national anthem, Hatikva, means "The Hope."  The anthem was written by Naftali Herz Imber (1856-1909) and expresses the hope of the Jewish people to someday return to the land of their forefathers as prophesied in the Bible. (In the year 70 C.E. the Roman emperor Titus led soldiers in the destruction of Jerusalem. Most of the Jews were carried away as captives and scattered across the world. During the two thousand years of exile, the Jewish people always prayed for their return to Israel.)

The national emblem of the State of Israel includes a seven-branched candelabrum called a menorah, flanked by two olive branches. The menorah was adopted as the emblem of Israel on February 10, 1949.  The menorah is one of the oldest Jewish symbols that appeared on coins, and on the walls and floors of ancient synagogues. After the destruction of the Temple by the Romans, the great menorah was transported to Rome. A stone relief on the Triumphal Arch of Titus in Rome depicts the parade that carried the menorah through the streets of Rome. Today, a bronze monument menorah is located in front of the Knesset (Israel's parliament).  It was built by Benno Elkan, a British-Jewish sculptor who worked on it for six years. The British Parliament gave it to Israel in 1956. The monument is built in the shape of the menorah that appears on the Arch of Titus, and it includes engravings of some 30 important events, idioms, characters and terms from Jewish history.

Jerusalem is the capital of Israel, though not internationally recognized as such.  Israel's largest city in both population and area, Jerusalem is a holy city to the three monotheistic religions—Judaism, Christianity and Islam. In Judaism, Jerusalem has been the holiest city since King David. In Christianity, Jerusalem has been a holy city since Jesus was crucified in 30 CE, and 300 years later, Saint Helena found the True Cross in the city. In Sunni Islam, Jerusalem is the third holiest city. As a result, the Old City is home to sites of key religious importance, among them the Temple Mount, the Western Wall, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the Dome of the Rock and al-Aqsa Mosque.

During its long history, Jerusalem has been destroyed twice, besieged 23 times, attacked 52 times, and captured and recaptured 44 times. The oldest part of the city was settled in the fourth millennium BCE, making Jerusalem one of the oldest cities in the world. The old walled city is in fact a World Heritage site.

Today, the status of Jerusalem remains one of the core issues in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. After the 1967 Arab Israeli War, Israel annexed East Jerusalem, which was controlled by Jordan, and now considers it a part of Israel. The international community has rejected the annexation as illegal and considers East Jerusalem to be Palestinian territory held by Israel under military occupation. The Jerusalem Law passed in 1980 states that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel.  Today, all branches of the Israeli government are located in Jerusalem, including the Knesset, the residences of the prime minister and president, and the Supreme Court. Jerusalem is home to The Hebrew University and to the Israel Museum with its Shrine of the Book. Jerusalem hosts many international festivals and conferences and 75 percent of incoming tourists to Israel visit Jerusalem.