Yom Ha'atzmaut (Hebrew: יוֹם הָעַצְמָאוּת, Arabic: عيد الاستقلال, romanized: ʿīd al-istiqlāli, lit.

Because Israel declared independence on 14 May 1948, which corresponded with the 5th of Iyar on the Hebrew calendar in that year, Yom Ha'atzmaut was originally celebrated on that date.

[3] The mood outside of Ben-Gurion's residence just prior to the announcement was joyous: The Jews of Palestine ... were dancing because they were about to realize what was one of the most remarkable and inspiring achievements in human history: A people which had been exiled from its homeland two thousand years before, which had endured countless pogroms, expulsions, and persecutions, but which had refused to relinquish its identity—which had, on the contrary, substantially strengthened that identity; a people which only a few years before had been the victim of mankind's largest single act of mass murder, killing a third of the world's Jews, that people was returning home as sovereign citizens in their own independent state.

However, this war ended with an Israeli victory amidst the 1949 Armistice Agreements, which established the Green Line as Israel's international border.

Every year a dozen Israeli citizens, who made a significant social contribution in a selected area, are invited to light the torches.

[8] In response to widespread public feeling, the Chief Rabbinate in Israel decided during 1950–51 that Independence Day should be given the status of a minor Jewish holiday on which Hallel be recited.

[16] The Rabbinate also ruled that they were "unable to sanction instrumental music and dances on this day which occurs during the sephirah period.

Other changes to the daily prayers include reciting Hallel, saying the expanded Pesukei D'Zimrah of Shabbat (the same practice that is observed almost universally on Hoshanah Rabbah), and/or blowing the Shofar.

Rabbi Joseph Soloveitchik questioned the Halachic imperative in canonising these changes[20] (it is not clear what his personal practice was regarding the recital of Hallel).

[24] The Conservative Movement read the Torah portion of Deuteronomy 7:12–8:18, and include a version of Al Hanisim as well as recite full Hallel with the blessings.

[28][29][30] As early as 1949, and officially since a 1998 proclamation by Yasser Arafat, May 15 has been commemorated as Nakba Day, which rarely coincides with Yom Ha'atzmaut, but falls within a few weeks of it.