Ceremonies were held throughout Israel Tuesday evening to mark the beginning of Yom Ha’Zikaron, Remembrance Day for fallen soldiers and victims of terrorism. A siren to mark a minute of silence was heard at 8 PM Tuesday, to be followed by another at 11 AM Wednesday, with military cemeteries and memorials around the country holding memorial services throughout the day. In the evening, Israelis will transition to celebrations of Yom Ha’atzmaute, commemorating the 70th anniversary of the Independence of the modern State of Israel.

Security officials announced on Tuesday evening that they are preparing to respond to plans by Iran to strike Israel from Syrian territory in response to last week’s airstike on the T-4 base there which killed several members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps.  “Israel will react strongly to any Iranian action from inside Syria,” a senior IDF source told Sky News in Arabic. The announcement was accompanied by the release of surveillance photos showing extensive Iranian operations at several military bases in Syria ostensibly under the control of forces loyal to the Assad regime.

Reports emerged from two Arab villages near Nablus overnight Tuesday that dozens of vehicles had been vandalized by what police suspect were Jewish extremists, based on “price tag” graffiti scrawled on several of the vehicles. “Police are investigating the incident,” said Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld. “We are still searching for suspects who we believe were involved. We’re looking at it as a criminal incident with nationalistic motives.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday that the Jewish State is on its guard to thwart attacks by Iran against its diplomats around the world. “The forces of darkness and terrorism thought that, by striking at our representatives, they would hurt our international standing. The exact opposite happened,” the prime minister said at an event commemorating the murder of several Israeli diplomatic personnel abroad in recent years.

Israeli Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon has brought 40 of his colleagues to Israel for a fact finding tour this week. Ethiopia’s Ambassador Tekeda Alemu said on Monday that “This has been a very fantastic experience. One lesson that was very clear is that there is a clear connection between the Old City of Jerusalem and the Jewish people. This cannot be ignored.”

Distilled to its essence, Tehran’s steadfast support for Assad is not driven by the geopolitical or financial interests of the Iranian nation, nor the religious convictions of the Islamic Republic, but by a visceral and seemingly inextinguishable hatred for the state of Israel. Though Israel has virtually no direct impact on the daily lives of Iranians, opposition to the Jewish state has been the most enduring pillar of Iranian revolutionary ideology.

Generally, in other countries, the Remembrance Day (Yom HaZikaron) of fallen soldiers and the Independence Day occur in two separate days of the year. In Israel, it was decided in accordance with the law that the Independence Day needs to begin the moment that Remembrance Day ends. This is because the State of Israel wouldn’t be able to celebrate its existence if it weren’t for those who gave their lives for it.

As the people of Israel celebrate the 70th anniversary of the nation’s modern rebirth in 1948, they are looking back with great respect for all those who worked to establish the state and then fought bravely to secure victory in the War of Independence. This includes a number of Christian figures who played key roles in Israel’s founding seven decades ago.