Several cities nix Independence Day parties due to shaky Iran truce, Hezbollah war

Local government leaders recommend holding smaller ceremonies in lieu of large-scale events; Or Yehuda mayor says celebrating ‘as if nothing is happening’ is detached from reality

The Federation of Local Authorities recommended Sunday that large-scale Independence Day events be postponed and replaced with smaller community ceremonies, amid wartime guidelines on large gatherings, ongoing fighting in Lebanon, and persistent rocket attacks by the Hezbollah terror group against residents of Israel’s north.

The announcement came after a discussion attended by local government leaders from across the country.

Mayors of several major cities have already moved in that direction, canceling celebrations for Independence Day next week in light of the security situation.

Though the US-Israeli military campaign in Iran has been paused since Wednesday, in accordance with a two-week ceasefire agreement, the truce remains fragile and is set to expire on Independence Day itself, which begins the evening of Tuesday, April 21, immediately following Memorial Day.

Should the truce expire or collapse ahead of time, Israel could face a resumption of ballistic missile attacks from Iran, driving millions into bomb shelters at minutes’ notice.

Moreover, despite protestations from Iran and mediator Pakistan, the US and Israel have insisted that the ceasefire does not apply to ongoing fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, and both airstrikes and ground operations continue against the Iran-backed terror group in Lebanon, which has continued to fire rockets and drones at both Israeli troops and civilians in Israel.

The border city of Kiryat Shmona and the northern city of Haifa canceled their Independence Day celebrations due to the security situation. Both cities have found themselves under persistent rocket fire from Hezbollah.

Additionally, the Israel Defense Forces’ Home Front Command currently prohibits any gathering of more than 1,000 people anywhere in the country, rendering many planned concert events and similar activities impossible. The guidelines are tighter nearer to the northern border.

Even if the IDF were to loosen the guidelines prior to the day itself, municipalities would be hard-pressed to change course in time.

Ashkelon Mayor Tomer Glam said in a statement Sunday: “This year, under the shadow of the fragile ceasefire and the lack of security stability, we are forced to make difficult decisions.

“And so, after consulting with professionals, we’ve decided, painfully, to cancel celebrations to mark Israel’s 78th Independence Day, and not to hold the central ceremony to mark Memorial Day.

“At a time when our soldiers are fighting on the frontlines against different enemies, and our brothers and sisters in the north are still under fire, we feel it isn’t right to celebrate the way we are used to, and moreover to put tens of thousands of people in danger,” he said.

Or Yehuda Mayor Liat Shochat, in a Facebook post on Sunday, wrote: “The thought of celebrating onstage ‘as if nothing is happening’ is detached from reality. We are one nation, one country, and we cannot shut our eyes to the pain of large swaths of Israeli society.”

A source in the music industry told Israel’s Channel 12: “We don’t believe the ceasefire will hold, and we don’t believe the war with Lebanon will end anytime soon. We don’t trust the government. Even if they announce a calm, we won’t take the chance.”

The source lamented: “It’s millions of shekels of damage, and people have been desperately waiting for these events. Now, it’s not just that we can’t support ourselves — we can’t celebrate, we can’t go out with the kids. They’ll sit at home, or in bomb shelters.”

Ahead of the national days next week, Israel will mark Holocaust Remembrance Day this Monday night and Tuesday. Yad Vashem has already announced that the official state ceremony will be replaced with a pre-recorded broadcast.