Thursday evening, three days before Israel Independence Day 1973, 200,000 others and I gathered to see the final dress rehearsal of the Jerusalem parade.From 11:30 p.m. until after one in the morning, we sat and watched tanks and equipment with soldiers inside, giving an unreal appearance, like an array of dressed-up store dummies. Hundreds of soldiers followed the tanks, marching in perfect step, and closed the parade. I could not forget that these men and women guarded me as long as I lived in Israel; they guarded and protected the Jewish state and all of its people.
On Sunday, the sun was shining warmly and the roads were closed. Planes flew overhead in fancy formations. It was questioned whether the parade was a representative way to show 25 years of statehood. The Israelis on the street had no question in their minds. They wanted glory, victory, strength and power to show the world and themselves.
That night, the buildings and streets were beautifully lit and decorated. I mingled with my friends and neighbors. Loudspeakers blared the famous and familiar folk songs. When I heard the music and danced the dances and saw the fireworks exploding in the sky, I felt that this glittering, dream-like world was a symbol of Israel’s independence for me.
It was mid-June before all of the brightly colored street decorations were taken down.
From Witness to History, 1973