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Podcast: North Star with Ellin Bessner
Episode: A historical look at Israel's independence day
Description: David Ben Gurion announced Israel’s independence on May 14, 1948—73 years ago today. (Although this year the event was marked in April, according to the Hebrew calendar.) The anniversary comes as Israel is in an eerily familiar situation, heading into another weekend with Arab fighters launching a barrage of rockets from Gaza. Meanwhile, violence between Jews, Palestinians and Israeli Arabs has broken out across Jerusalem, Acco, Lod and Ramla and elsewhere. While Canadian Jews prepare to observe the religious festival of Shavuout on Monday, which marks the giving of the Torah to Moses on Mount Sinai, Israelis are seeking shelter in s...