Israel’s iconic Independence Day air shows were canceled. The government determined that the annual spectacle would present too much of a temptation for Israelis to violate coronavirus restrictions and gather in public venues.
The Israel Air Force (IAF) decided instead to honor the nation’s healthcare workers with flyovers of major hospitals across the country.
Eitan Elhadaz/TPS
Israel Air Force planes fly over as doctors and nurses from Tel Hashomer Hospital wave flags.
Last week, Maj.-Gen. Amikam Norkin, the current commander of the IAF, published a video clip noting that under usual circumstances, his forces are on the frontlines of the crises faced by Israel.
In the battle against COVID-19, however, it’s the nation’s doctors, nurses and medics who are the frontline troops, and Gen. Norkin felt it was important to honor them just as the nation honors his soldiers in times of war.
Eitan Elhadaz/TPS
Maj.-Gen. Amikam Norkin with the staff of Tel Hashomer Hospital as his pilots fly overhead.
Below are additional photos of Independence Day celebrations in Israel in the shadow of the coronavirus. As you can see, even a global pandemic can’t dampen the spirits of the indomitable Israelis.
Eitan Elhadez/TPS
An Israeli couple enjoys a fireworks display near Tel Aviv from their balcony.
Yonatan Sindel/Flash90
The Old City walls of Jerusalem are lit up with the words “Celebrating Independence.”
Yossi Aloni/Flash90
The streets were uncharacteristically empty, but that doesn’t mean Israelis weren’t celebrating.
Miriam Alster/Flash90
Tel Aviv City Hall lit up like the Israeli flag, while police officers make sure crowds don’t gather in Rabin Square.
Yonatan Sindel/Flash90
Culture Minister Miri Regev preparing for the main Independence Day event, which this year was performed before an empty stadium, but was streamed live to Israelis trapped in their homes.
You Might Also Like
Israel Trading Medical Data for COVID Vaccine Doses
Déjà vu
Response to Messianic Claims That the Vaccine is a Plot of Satan
A Never-Ending Shabbat
Now Let’s Be Honest: An Open Letter From Our Editor
Empty Buses and No Traffic Jams
Israeli Expert: Coronavirus Isn’t Dangerous to Children!
Israel’s Corona Record and God
“Back to Life” Thanks to God and Pfizer
We Have Lost Proportionality
Of Vaccines, Lockdowns and the Eurovision Song Contest
Netanyahu: Today All of Israel Deeply Mourns
Israel Already Has the Way to Beat Corona
Israel Declares End to Corona Crisis
Israelis Skeptical, Might Refuse COVID Vaccine
Coronavirus Driving More US Jews Home to Israel
Israel Introduces COVID “Happy Badge”
Challenges of Collective Action in Fighting COVID-19
The Politics of Our Pandemic Problems
Mossad Secretly Acquires 100,000 Coronavirus Test Kits for Israel
Israeli Breakthrough in Coronavirus Vaccine Imminent
A Bible Message for Times of Crisis
COVID Vaccine is an “Angel From God”
Poll: Israelis Pleased With Netanyahu’s Handling of Corona Crisis
Israeli Professor Answers Your Questions About COVID Vaccine
“Prophets of Doom” Push New Corona Restrictions for Israel
Corona: Israel Mulls Slow Return to Normalcy
Be Thou My Vision in This Present Darkness
Why is Israel the Safest Place on Earth?
Israel Urges Pfizer to Approve COVID Vaccines for Young Children
Corona-Style Passover Prayer Goes Viral
O Jerusalem, Will You Rise Again?
Corona Doubts Creep Back Into Israel
Corona, Olympics and Ben & Jerry’s
Israel Freaking Out After Tourists Test Positive for Coronavirus
Netanyahu Enters Quarantine After Aide Catches Coronavirus
Israelis Defy Corona Lockdown Regulations
A Two-Class Society?
Independence Day Family Fun Time
Israel’s “Haredi Ninja” Dies of COVID-19
Balcony Prayers
The Coronavirus From a Messianic Perspective
Israel Begins Vaccinating Palestinian Workers
WHO “Disgusted” by COVID Vaccine Policies of Israel, Other Wealthy Nations
Watch: Jewish Settlers Sing Psalm 54, Seek God’s Salvation
Survey: Over 200,000 Israelis Infected With COVID-19
How Israel Enforces Coronavirus Restrictions
Finding Light in Dark Times Through Art
“You see the shame in their eyes” – Israel’s heartbreaking economic epidemic
Too Many COVID Infections? Stop Getting Tested, Suggests IDF Commander
Corona Hysteria is Overblown, Insist Top Israeli Experts
The Spiritual Dimension of the Corona Pandemic
The Day After Corona
ANALYSIS: Will Coronavirus Solve Israel’s Political Crisis?
What Do You Do When Your Brother is in Distress?
Fighting Corona – Doing More Harm Done Than Good?
Corona Cure: Israelis Told to Drink Russian Miracle Water
Corona Shmorona
Coronavirus Vs. the Virus of Islamic Jihad
Why is Israel Now Struggling Again with the Spread of Covid?
Absurd: Netanyahu Exposed to Corona by His Health Minister
Can the Arab World Deal With Corona?
“The homos are to blame for everything”
Israel Helps Christian ‘Holy Fire’ Spread Around the World
EXCLUSIVE: How Coronavirus Might Impact the Jewish State
Israeli Corona Greeting Goes Viral in Arab World
Bats Not Behind COVID-19, Insist Israeli Biologists
Israeli Military Makes Corona Cure Breakthrough
United Response to Corona Virus Attack on Jewish Communities
Israeli Hospital Won’t Wait on FDA, Will Start COVID-19 Vaccinations
Passover: Time to Move On
WHO Official: Israel a ‘Trailblazer’ by Giving Early COVID Booster Shots
Passover, Plagues and the God of the Hebrews
Coronavirus Pandemic Requires Our Creativity
Working From Home is Relaxing, Sometimes
My Experience With the Corona Vaccine
Report: Bennett Wants Israeli Parents to Shame One Another Into Vaccinating Kids
Beautiful Land of Israel
Coronavirus: Israel Develops Quick Test
Anti-Vaxxer Teacher Forcibly Removed From Israeli Kindergarten
What Will the Middle East Look Like After Corona?
Israeli Army: Corona Crisis to Last Another 18 Months
Zionism: More Powerful Than Coronavirus
Israel’s Booster Shot Policy Threatens Return to School
UPDATE: Is Pfizer Vaccine to Blame for Israel’s High COVID Infection Rate?
In Photos: COVID Can’t Dampen Purim Spirit
What Coronavirus Looks Like in the Gaza Strip
Farmers Donate Tons of Vegetables for Passover
Palestinians Accuse Israel of “Health Apartheid”
Israel’s Multi-Front Battle: Fighting Coronavirus and Spies at Home
Israeli Lawmaker Blames Fourth Corona Wave on Homosexuals and Muslims
“Unacceptable that 1 million Israelis are unvaccinated!”
Arab Israeli Bus Driver Recovers From Coronavirus
Report: Israeli Public Servants Can Be Fired for Refusing Vaccine
How Dare He Speak Against the Rabbi!
Want to Beat Corona? Then Go Outside, Say Israeli Scientists
Our Behavior is Our Witness
Corona’s Divisive Side Effects on Israeli Society
Israel’s Vaccination Campaign and Loving the Stranger
Israel’s Independence Day: It’s in the Bible
ANALYSIS: Israel vs the Arabs. Who’s Handling Corona Better?
Corona Visas for Evangelical Volunteers Leave Catholics Frustrated
Report: Rabbi Ordered Israeli Health Minister to Step Down
“Coronavirus will reach Israel”
Gaza Factory Making Corona Masks for Israel
In Israel Everything’s Either Scandal or Festival
If There are COVID Treatments and Cures, Why Worry About “Vaccines”?
The New Normal of Israel Being a Light to the Nations
School Starts Wednesday Fraught with Anxieties
Israel Welcomes a New Corona Variant – Delta Plus
Has Israel Reached Corona Herd Immunity?
Bar Mitzvah Amid Corona
Lockdown? What Was That Again?
Corona: Muslims Also Say Messiah is Coming
A Delayed Government, Messianic Jewish TV, and Beating COVID-19
Of Rain, Lockdowns and Redemption
COVID-19 and the Possible Breakdown of National Life
Are the Prophecies About Coronavirus True?
Israel Health Ministry Hints at “State of Emergency”
Welcome to Israel – Come Back Later
Government Tells Israelis to Stop Flying Abroad
Seeing God’s Gifts in Times of Difficulty
COVID Vaccines at School? Uproar in Israel Over Controversial Inoculation Scheme
That’s It? Coronavirus is Done in Israel?
Bennett: Patience for the Unvaccinated Israelis Has Run Out
This Time I Made the Wrong Choice
Israelis Belatedly Appreciate Netanyahu’s Handling of Coronavirus
When Sirens Are a False Alarm
What the Bible Says to Us in Times of Corona
Israel Closes Its Skies as More COVID Mutations Enter Jewish State
Israeli Economy Reopened Ahead of Fateful Election
Meet Israel’s Frontline Heroes
The Broadcast That Ruffled Israel’s Orthodox Jews
Should Synagogues Open for Prayer Against Corona?
Out and About in Tel Aviv: A City Under Lockdown?
Washington Threatens to Bar Israeli Planes From Landing in America
Small Business Owners Turn on Netanyahu Government
UPDATE: On the Way to a Cure for Coronavirus?
As Israel Eases Lockdown, Fears of Another Infection Spike
Freedom!
Fear of the Unknown
First Pfizer Vaccines Arrive in Israel
Corona Fear: Netanyahu Refuses to Shake Hands at Jewish Holy Site
Rabbi Likens Israeli Media to Nazi Newspaper
Israel Foreign Ministry Reaches Out to Arab Nations
Swords Into Plowshares: Israel Missile Factory Producing Ventilators
The Orthodox Scapegoat
Here’s What You Need To Do After Corona
ANALYSIS: Israel, Iran and the Corona Pandemic
Coronavirus in the Eyes of Muslim Clerics
The History Behind Israel’s Vaccination Success Story
Social Distancing – It’s a Jewish Thing
Tel Aviv “Vaccine Bar” Offers a Shot for a Shot
Why is Israel Still Giving COVID Boosters if the WHO Said to Stop?
Divine Protection, Corona and the Bible
Corona Conspiracy, or Media Hype?
Secret of the Israel Defense Forces Revealed [VIDEO]
The Command to Rest
COVID: Divine Decree or Man-Made Disease?
Corona Policies Doing More Damage Than Virus, Warn Experts
Israel Gets Its Wrist Slapped Over Dubious COVID Stats
Should We Fear the Second Wave of Corona?
Muslim Extremists Exploiting Corona Crisis in Israel
Israeli Officials Demand Recount of COVID-19 Deaths
Israel Looks to Take the Lead in COVID Vaccination
How Israel Beats Corona
Coronavirus is Rocking the Ultra-Orthodox Jewish World
Bible-Believing Health Minister Makes Israelis Fume
Jews are Being Blamed for the Coronavirus
Diminution and Abundance
The Only Way to Beat ‘Big Brother’ in Israel
Creativity in the Midst of Corona
Israelis Protest Against “Medical Dictatorship”
Israel Celebrates Vaccine Victory Over Corona
Once a Role Model, Israel is Now a COVID Cautionary Tale
New 5 Shekel Coin Honors Corona Heroes
Vaccine Might Not Set Us Free: Growing Frustration in Israel
Four Sisters Fight Corona
The Epidemic and the Stumbling Block
ANALYSIS: Corona, Israel and the World – Apocalypse Now?
Israel Declares War on Coronavirus
Israel’s Population Grows to 9.3 Million
VIDEO: Saluting Israel’s Medical Teams as They Fight Coronavirus
The End of the World – Might Not Be What You’re Thinking
Israel Sends its Love to Italy
Reaping the Fruit of the Coronavirus
What New Horizons Will Israel’s Third Lockdown Open?
Lockdown, Israel-Style
The Second Lockdown
Will the New Year Be Virus-Free?
Manna, Vaccines and Everything In-Between
Israeli Song of Healing Goes Viral
Return of the Masks
Mike Lindell Criticizes Israel Over COVID Vaccination Drive
ANALYSIS: Israel Beats the Odds, is Safest Corona Country
Vaccinated Israelis Catch Indian Variant of COVID-19
Prime Minister Netanyahu First Israeli to Receive Covid-19 Vaccination
Looking Back on a Strange Year
Israeli Tech Defending Buses in UK Against COVID-19
Meet the 102-Year-Old Lighting an Independence Day Torch
Dramatic Jump in COVID Infection Rate in Israel: Nearly 4,000 in One Day
Alternate Reality? UN Hails Israeli-Palestinian Cooperation
ANALYSIS: Is This the End of the World (as We Know It)?
Israeli Lawmaker Slams ‘Deceitful’ COVID-19 Statistics
Prophecy — Who Needs It?
Enough!
Hamas Wields Coronavirus to Extort More Money
Tragedy
The Middle East After the Coronavirus Pandemic
Orthodox Disobedience and Its Effect on Israel
Forced Vaccination in Israel – Is It Right?
Underground Engagement
Israel Begins Administering COVID Booster Shots to Seniors, But Will It Work?
Third Temple is Only Cure for Coronavirus, Says Israeli Rabbi
Fear for America
ANALYSIS: How Local Leaders in Israel Beat the Corona Pandemic
Remembering Israel’s Corona Victims, Blaming Netanyahu
Israeli Startup Protects Essential UK Workers From Corona
Facebook Blocks Netanyahu Chatbot
Fighting Corona Exposes Israel’s Attitude Toward Judaism
Chinese Ambassador Found Dead
Israel’s Agriculture is Vital in Times of Crisis
Leading Israeli Rabbi Boots Student for Opposing COVID Vaccine
Free Breathing and Creeping Optimism
The Significance of Yom Kippur During a Pandemic
BBC Admits That Israel Not Obliged to Vaccinate Palestinians
VIDEO: Israeli Army Takes on a New Mission
Coronavirus and the Arab Culture of Secrecy
Fauci to Israel: You Did the Right Thing, US Also Needs Booster Shot
Messiah Will Come by Passover, Says Israel Health Minister
Should Jews Pray for Trump’s Recovery From COVID-19?
Is the Corona Crisis a Convenient Excuse for Bibi?
Israel Vaccinates Two-Millionth Citizen Against COVID
Of Vaccines, the Temple Mount and Palestinian Intransigence
Israelis Protest Against COVID Vaccine, So-Called “Green Passport”
Vaccinated Israelis are In-Demand as Tourists
Asia’s Impact on Israel’s Coronavirus Battle
Empty Shops, Broken Hearts
Passover Beats Plague
Israel Expects Aliyah Numbers to Double in 2020
The ‘Green Passport’ Could Poison Israeli Society
Israel’s Top Rabbi Threatens Those Who Violate Corona Guidelines
Bennett Slammed for “Shaming” Israelis Who Refuse COVID Vaccine
Israeli Researchers: Everyone Should Touch a Furry Robot
Happy, Green and Purple
Most Israel Corona Infections Came From America
The Masks Come Off
Israeli Tech Protects Mexican Gyms From COVID
1 Million Israelis Infected, 10,000 Dead by End of April, Warns Bibi
Lesser Known Victims of COVID: Why Israel Must Preserve Heritage
Thinking of Visiting Israel This Summer? Here’s What You Need to Know
Trump Was Right, Corona Panic Overblown, Says Israeli Expert
Israel Struggles to Bring Home Kids Stranded by Coronavirus
Israel’s Top Rabbi Says We Need Messiah to Come
Liars! Arab Activist Defends Israel Against False Vaccine Claims
Israel Versus the FDA: The Battle of the Booster Shot
Palestinians Set Sights on Jerusalem Amid Corona Crisis
Israel and the Palestinians in the Fight Against Coronavirus
Israeli Historian Explains Pandemics
Hospital Director Says He Won’t Take “Immoral” COVID Booster Shot
Are There Jewish Prophecies About Coronavirus?
Israeli Study Insists Risk of Myocarditis From COVID Vaccine is Minimal
Almost 20% of Israel’s COVID Deaths are Holocaust Survivors
Israel’s “Corona Guardians” Take to the Streets
Israeli Business Owners Seethe as Police Allow Mass Orthodox Funerals
Israel Begins Human Trials for Corona Vaccine
Israel Won’t Reach Herd Immunity, COVID Isn’t Going Away
Eternal
Only members can read and write comments.