National Day Message by H. E. Mr. Yoram Elron, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the State of Israel to the Republic of Bulgaria

Today, 5 May 2022, on Independence Day, we celebrate our national freedom with great pride. Israel's independence is the fulfillment of a two thousand year old dream; this is the collective hope, which has survived for two thousand years, until the realization of the return to our historic homeland.

As we celebrate seventy four years of independence, we can certainly be proud of our many achievements. We have succeeded in reviving an arid and desolate land and building a modern and vibrant nation upon it.

As the famous poet Shaul Tchernichovsky wrote: "Man is nothing but the shape of his native landscape". Today, just a mere seven decades after the establishment of the state, this "landscape" is characterized by a modern nation built on solid democratic foundations. With scarce natural resources, we rely on our human capital and have made a name for ourselves in many areas on the international stage. Israel is today a start-up nation that is at the forefront of innovation and is home to many state of the art industries.

These many accomplishments have been achieved whilst absorbing millions of immigrants from Europe, the Middle East, the former Soviet Union, Ethiopia and in fact from all over the world.  Recently, Israel opened its gates to tens of thousands of Olim from Ukraine, as a result of Russia's invasion of that country, and this, as part of "Operation Olim Coming home". Israel continues to implement its goal: a state established to be the safest place in the world for Jews.

On this day, it is also important to highlight the special ties between Israel and the Jewish communities around the world, ties we are proud of. The Jewish community of Bulgaria is shining example of a thriving and prosperous community.

It is a privilege for me to serve as Israel's Ambassador to Bulgaria, a country with which we have long-standing bonds of friendship. Bulgaria is an ally and a true friend. On this occasion, I would like to thank Bulgaria for its firm steadfast support for Israel in international for a. We are grateful to Bulgaria for this support rendered over the years.

Of course, we are fully committed to working tirelessly to expand and deepen the partnership with Bulgaria in a wide range of areas of importance to both countries.

We are fortunate that today we are witnessing the fulfillment of the words of the prophets of Israel, and to be part of a generation that is privileged to witness the revival of the Jewish state in our ancient homeland.

Happy Independence Day!

The material was provided by the Embassy of the State of Israel to the Republic of Bulgaria. On the photo: H. E. Mr. Yoram Elron, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the State of Israel to the Republic of Bulgaria