The unity I feel here is nothing like the Fourth of July in America. It's a genuine unity. At the top of the list was simple survival. The Jewish homeland was founded in the wake of the Holocaust and was attacked by five Arab neighbors within hours of declaring independence. CNN's Jerrold Kessel reports on Israel's jubilee 3 min.
Security forces are on heightened alert against possible terrorist attacks.
Country pauses to remember war dead Before the official revelry began, Israelis paused Wednesday to honor the nation's war dead at ceremonies around the country. At 11 a.m., the wail of sirens brought the nation to a halt for two minutes of silent remembrance. Netanyahu honors his brother, Yonni, who was killed in 1976 Since 1948, nearly 19,000 men and women have died in wars and conflicts with the Jewish state's Arab neighbors. For Netanyahu, Wednesday's grieving was personal as well as collective. After attending a memorial ceremony on behalf of all of Israel's fallen warriors, he visited the grave of his brother, Yonni, who died in 1976 when Israeli commandos rescued hijacked airline passengers in Entebbe, Uganda.