Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, Monday evening, "From year to year, the country is gaining strength, advancing and establishing its position as a prominent world power, with tremendous achievements in security, economics, foreign relations, technology, science, culture and every field."
In a video message to the opening ceremony for Independence Day, he also said, "For the young people between us, independence may be perceived as natural, I say that Israel's independence is not a free gift. Generations of Jews were in exile and we have a home. We are sending the State of Israel to new heights, and the achievements of the past give us great hopes for the future."