Israel’s wars have been just, Peres says

Fighting was ‘just,’ Israeli president says

JERUSALEM Israelis celebrated 65 years of independence on Tuesday, with more than a million people pouring into national parks despite unusually blustery weather.

As flags fluttered from windows, street lamps and buildings across most of the country, families braved whipping winds and rain to indulge in the holiday’s traditional pastime — the park barbecue.

At formal state celebrations in recognition of the military, the country’s leaders kicked off festivities to the tune of old pop standards, reminding their countrymen of the Jewish state’s adversaries as air force jets cut across the skies of Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.

President Shimon Peres, who at one point sang in duet with entertainer Keren Peles, said Israel must remain vigilant of militant groups at its borders — Lebanon’s Hezbollah and Palestinian Hamas in Gaza. He also said wars fought by the Israeli army were justified.

“We overcame because of the bravery of our soldiers. Their wars were just. Their weapons were pure. Seven times, in less than seven decades, they tried to destroy us. Seven times, we overcame and were triumphant,” he said. He also described Iran’s clerical leaders as “mad.”

Military chief Lt.- Gen. Benny Gantz said Israel’s army will continue to defend its citizens until “the day that peace comes.”

Congratulations poured in from around the world, including from Washington.

“A free and independent Israel has had no greater friend and ally than the United States,” said U.S. President Barack Obama. “Our two nations stand together because it makes our countries safer, stronger and more prosperous, and it makes the world a better place,” he said in a statement sent to reporters.

Meanwhile, the army closed down crossings into the country via the West Bank and Gaza Strip for Palestinians, except for humanitarian cases. It cited heightened security concerns.

The festivities, which began Monday night, come just a day after the country mourned its war dead during its annual Remembrance Day commemorations. The contrast between sombre Remembrance Day and joyful Independence Day is intentional, meant to remind Israelis of the sacrifices made to create and defend the Jewish state.