World leaders congratulate Israel's 76th Independence Day in the shadow of Gaza war
Staff at Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem wave at the IAF flyover on Independence Day.
Multiple world leaders, including US President Joe Biden, sent Israeli President Isaac Herzog and expressed their best wishes to the Israeli people on the Jewish state's 76th Independence Day.
“The United States is proud of our enduring relationship with Israel," Biden noted in his letter. "As the first country to recognize Israel as an independent state in 1948, our bonds are underpinned by shared democratic values, common interests, and cultural affinities.
“As I - a lifelong supporter of Israel and the only American president to visit Israel in wartime - made clear after Hamas's attack, the United States' commitment to Israel's security is ironclad," he continued, noting the Israeli and Jewish peoples' resilience and strength following Hamas's October 7 massacre.
Other countries congratulate Israel
Other countries which have congratulated Israel on their Independence Day include Australia, Belarus, Croatia, India, Italy, Bulgaria, Japan, Kazakhstan, Malta, Myanmar, Russia, Rwanda, Singapore, Switzerland, and Zambia.
Leader of Australia's Liberal Party Peter Dutton posted on X, acknowledging the Hamas attack as the largest loss of Jewish life since the Holocaust, and saying that "the cloud of October 7 hands over this year's commemoration of Yom Ha'atzmaut."
People walk on Jaffa street in Jerusalem, during Israel's 76th Independence Day celebrations, May 13, 2024. (credit: ARIE LIEB ABRAMS/FLASH90)
People walk on Jaffa street in Jerusalem, during Israel's 76th Independence Day celebrations, May 13, 2024. (credit: ARIE LIEB ABRAMS/FLASH90)
The Indian External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar also wrote to Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz, congratulating them on Israel's 76th anniversary.