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‘When Israel Is Strong, America Is Strong’: US Politicians Mark Israel’s 77th Independence Day
US Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) addressing the Israeli parliament on May 24, 2024. Photo: Office of Congresswoman Elise Stefanik.
US politicians across the political aisle congratulated Israel as the Jewish state celebrated the 77th anniversary of its independence, noting the importance of the relationship between the two allies.
On Tuesday night, Israel began observing Yom HaZikaron, its annual Memorial Day which commemorates soldiers killed in battle and victims of terrorism since the state’s founding in 1948. Then on Wednesday night, Israel began celebrating Yom HaAtzmaut, its Independence Day. However, many celebrations were canceled or postponed throughout the country as massive wildfires continued to engulf the Jewish state.
This year’s observance comes at a time of heightened political debate and security concerns amid the war in Gaza escalating tensions with Iran, prompting renewed dialogue on unity and national direction.
US Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) acknowledged Israel’s Independence Day, stating that the holiday represents a testament to the Jewish state’s “strength, spirit, and resilience.”
Stefanik has established herself as a strong ally of the Jewish community. While serving on the House Education and the Workforce Committee, she has lambasted administrators of elite universities for their allegedly mealy-mouthed condemnations of antisemitism and tolerance of anti-Jewish discrimination at their schools. In December 2023, Stefanik engaged in a fiery back-and-forth with the presidents of Harvard University, the University of Pennsylvania, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology over their handling of a surge in antisemitism on campus.
“As the sun sets and Yom HaZikaron comes to a close, Israel transitions from mourning to joy —honoring the cost of freedom and celebrating its independence and honoring 76 years of strength, spirit, and resilience,” Stefanik said in a statement.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams (D) also issued a statement celebrating Israel’s Independence Day, vowing to continue to use his platform to support the Jewish community.
“Tonight, NYC City Hall shines blue & white as we honor Israel’s 77th Independence Day. We illuminate in celebration of Yom Ha’atzmaut and stand with Israel and our Jewish community today and always,” Adams said.
In recent weeks, Adams has attempted to salvage his fledging mayoral reelection campaign by underscoring the importance of combatting antisemitism. Last week, reports surfaced that he plans on running on an “EndAntiSemitism” ballot line. Adams, who secured his 2021 mayoral victory with a significant amount of Orthodox Jewish support, has repeatedly spoken out about antisemitism in the aftermath of the Oct. 7, 2023, terror attacks throughout Israel.
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) also commemorated Israel’s Independence Day, stating that a strong Israel benefits the United States, and that he will always be a supporter of the Jewish state.
“When Israel is strong, America and the world are strong. I will always stand unequivocally and unapologetically with Israel, our friend and ally,” Cruz said.
Cruz has long been a vocal supporter of Israel, emphasizing the nation’s right to self-defense and sovereignty. In a 2025 address to the Sovereignty Conference in Jerusalem, Cruz affirmed that Israel’s presence in the West Bank is rooted in biblical history and modern legal rights. During a 2021 visit to Israel, he met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, stating that Israel not only has the right but a responsibility to defend itself, particularly against threats from Iran and Hamas. Additionally, Cruz has been vocal in criticizing US policies he perceives as undermining Israel’s security, including the administration’s financial dealings with Iran, which he argues have indirectly funded terrorist activities.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) expressed pride in New York’s substantial Jewish community, adding that she stands “in solidarity” with Israel.
“Tonight, we celebrate Yom Ha’atzmaut and Israel’s 77th Independence Day! New York is proud to be the home of the largest Jewish population outside of Israel, and we’re proud to stand in solidarity with the Israeli people,” Hochul wrote.
Hochul has demonstrated strong support for Israel, particularly in the wake of the Oct. 7 Hamas-led attacks. She led a bipartisan coalition of 17 governors in condemning the massacre and expressing solidarity with Israel, emphasizing the unbreakable bond between the US and the Jewish state. Hochul also visited Israel during the conflict, meeting with victims and officials to reaffirm New York’s commitment. Domestically, she has taken steps to honor victims, such as directing state landmarks to be lit in Israel’s colors and ordering flags at half-staff.
Rep. Brian Mast (R-FL), chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, also marked Israel’s Independence Day with a statement on X/Twitter.
“Seventy-seven years ago, the Jewish people declared sovereignty over their ancestral homeland. Happy Independence Day to Israel — our greatest ally in the Middle East,” Mast posted.
Mast has established himself as one of Israel’s most vocal supporters in Congress, intertwining personal experience with legislative advocacy. Mast, a US Army veteran who lost both legs during a tour in Afghanistan, volunteered with the Israel Defense Forces in 2015. Following the October 2023 Hamas attacks on Israel, Mast donned his IDF uniform on Capitol Hill to express support with the Jewish state. As chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, he has championed measures to bolster US-Israel ties, including legislation to prevent US funds from supporting antisemitic education in Gaza.
The post ‘When Israel Is Strong, America Is Strong’: US Politicians Mark Israel’s 77th Independence Day first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Security Warning to Israelis Vacationing Abroad Ahead of holidays
A passenger arrives to a terminal at Ben Gurion international airport before Israel bans international flights, January 25, 2021. REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun
i24 News – Ahead of the Jewish High Holidays, Israel’s National Security Council (NSC) published the latest threat assessment to Israelis abroad from terrorist groups to the public on Sunday, in order to increase the Israeli public’s awareness of the existing terrorist threats around the world and encourage individuals to take preventive action accordingly.
The NSC specified that the warning is an up-to-date reflection of the main trends in the activities of terrorist groups around the world and their impact on the level of threat posed to Israelis abroad during these times, but the travel warnings and restrictions themselves are not new.
“As the Gaza war continues and in parallel with the increasing threat of terrorism, the National Security Headquarters stated it has recognized a trend of worsening and increasing violent antisemitic incidents and escalating steps by anti-Israel groups, to the point of physically harming Israelis and Jews abroad. This is in light of, among other things, the anti-Israel narrative and the negative media campaign by pro-Palestinian elements — a trend that may encourage and motivate extremist elements to carry out terrorist activities against Israelis or Jews abroad,” the statement read.
“Therefore, the National Security Bureau is reinforcing its recommendation to the Israeli public to act with responsibility during this time when traveling abroad, to check the status of the National Security Bureau’s travel warnings (before purchasing tickets to the destination,) and to act in accordance with the travel warning recommendations and the level of risk in the country they are visiting,” it listed, adding that, as illustrated in the past year, these warnings are well-founded and reflect a tangible and valid threat potential.
The statement also emphasized the risk of sharing content on social media networks indicating current or past service in the Israeli security forces, as these posts increase the risk of being marked by various parties as a target. “Therefore, the National Security Council recommends that you do not upload to social networks, in any way, content that indicates service in the security forces, operational activity, or similar content, as well as real-time locations.”
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Israel Intensifies Gaza City Bombing as Rubio Arrives
Displaced Palestinians, fleeing northern Gaza due to an Israeli military operation, move southward after Israeli forces ordered residents of Gaza City to evacuate to the south, in the central Gaza Strip September 14, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Mahmoud Issa
Israeli forces destroyed at least 30 residential buildings in Gaza City and forced thousands of people from their homes, Palestinian officials said, as US Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived on Sunday to discuss the future of the conflict.
Israel has said it plans to seize the city, where about a million Palestinians have been sheltering, as part of its declared aim of eliminating the terrorist group Hamas, and has intensified attacks on what it has called Hamas’ last bastion.
The group’s political leadership, which has engaged in on-and-off negotiations on a possible ceasefire and hostage release deal, was targeted by Israel in an airstrike in Doha on Tuesday in an attack that drew widespread condemnation.
Qatar will host an emergency Arab-Islamic summit on Monday to discuss the next moves. Rubio said Washington wanted to talk about how to free the 48 hostages – of whom 20 are believed to be still alive – still held by Hamas in Gaza and rebuild the coastal strip.
“What’s happened, has happened,” he said. “We’re gonna meet with them (the Israeli leadership). We’re gonna talk about what the future holds,” Rubio said before heading to Israel where he will stay until Tuesday.
ABRAHAM ACCORDS AT RISK
He was expected to visit the Western Wall Jewish prayer site in Jerusalem on Sunday with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and hold talks with him during the visit.
US officials described Tuesday’s strike on the territory of a close US ally as a unilateral escalation that did not serve American or Israeli interests. Rubio and US President Donald Trump both met Qatar’s Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani on Friday.
Netanyahu signed an agreement on Thursday to push ahead with a settlement expansion plan that would cut across West Bank land that the Palestinians seek for a state – a move the United Arab Emirates warned would undermine the US-brokered Abraham accords that normalized UAE relations with Israel.
Israel, which blocked all food from entering Gaza for 11 weeks earlier this year, has been allowing more aid into the enclave since late July to prevent further food shortages, though the United Nations says far more is needed.
It says it wants civilians to leave Gaza City before it sends more ground forces in. Tens of thousands of people are estimated to have left but hundreds of thousands remain in the area. Hamas has called on people not to leave.
Israeli army forces have been operating inside at least four eastern suburbs for weeks, turning most of at least three of them into wastelands. It is closing in on the center and the western areas of the territory, where most of the displaced people are taking shelter.
Many are reluctant to leave, saying there is not enough space or safety in the south, where Israel has told them to go to what it has designated as a humanitarian zone.
Some say they cannot afford to leave while others say they were hoping the Arab leaders meeting on Monday in Qatar would pressure Israel to scrap its planned offensive.
“The bombardment intensified everywhere and we took down the tents, more than twenty families, we do not know where to go,” said Musbah Al-Kafarna, displaced in Gaza City.
Israel said it had completed five waves of air strikes on Gaza City over the past week, targeting more than 500 sites, including Hamas reconnaissance and sniper sites, buildings containing tunnel openings and weapons depots.
Local officials, who do not distinguish between militant and civilian casualties, say at least 40 people were killed by Israeli fire across the enclave, a least 28 in Gaza City alone.
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Turkey Warns of Escalation as Israel Expands Strikes Beyond Gaza
Turkey’s President Tayyip Erdogan speaks during a press conference with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis (not seen) at the Presidential Palace in Ankara, Turkey, May 13, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Umit Bektas
i24 News – An Israeli strike targeting Hamas officials in Qatar has sparked unease among several Middle Eastern countries that host leaders of the group, with Turkey among the most alarmed.
Officials in Ankara are increasingly worried about how far Israel might go in pursuing those it holds responsible for the October 7 attacks.
Israel’s prime minister effectively acknowledged that the Qatar operation failed to eliminate the Hamas leadership, while stressing the broader point the strike was meant to make: “They enjoy no immunity,” the government said.
On X, Prime Minister Netanyahu went further, writing that “the elimination of Hamas leaders would put an end to the war.”
A senior Turkish official, speaking on condition of anonymity, summed up Ankara’s reaction: “The attack in Qatar showed that the Israeli government is ready to do anything.”
Legally and diplomatically, Turkey occupies a delicate position. As a NATO member, any military operation or targeted killing on its soil could inflame tensions within the alliance and challenge mutual security commitments.
Analysts caution, however, that Israel could opt for covert measures, operations carried out without public acknowledgement, a prospect that has increased anxiety in governments across the region.
Israeli officials remain defiant. In an interview with Ynet, Minister Ze’ev Elkin said: “As long as we have not stopped them, we will pursue them everywhere in the world and settle our accounts with them.” The episode underscores growing fears that efforts to hunt Hamas figures beyond Gaza could widen regional friction and complicate diplomatic relationships.