Israel Celebrates 60th Year

Israel celebrated its 60th anniversary Thursday with much fanfare and jubilation as President Bush and over 700 world leaders arrived for what the nation boasted was a three day conference meant to address all the major challenges of the 21st century.

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(Photo: AP Images / Dan Balilty)

Jewish people display a Israeli flag, during celebrations for Israel's 60th anniversary next to the Western Wall, Judaism's holiest site in Jerusalem's Old City, Thursday, May 8, 2008. Israel is marking its 60th Independence Day, which began at sundown Wednesday, with a great sense of pride but also uncertainty about its future and doubts about prospects for peace with the Palestinians.

“We are a small land and a small people, but we can become a daring world laboratory, and that is our desire and plan,” boasted Israeli President Shimon Peres, according to The New York Times.

Of particular note during the anniversary of the State of Israel was the presence of evangelical Christians.

U.S. Evangelical Christians, who number about 80 million by most estimates, are known to be major backers of the Israeli state, funneling millions of dollars into the country every year.

In a study released last month by the Joshua Fund, a D.C.-based evangelical organization, nearly 90 percent of evangelical Christians in the U.S. said they felt a “biblical obligation” to back the State of Israel.

The results, which highlighted and re-emphasized the importance for Christians to back Israel, were released during the “Epicenter 08” conference in Jerusalem, a gathering of thousands of Evangelical and Jewish leaders.

Institute of Religion and Democracy (IRD) President Jim Tonkowich set the tone for Thursday’s celebrations. Tonkowich said that the anniversary celebration of Israel was one that Christians could participate in.

"Israelis have good reason to celebrate today and U.S. Christians can join them,” he said in a statement.

“Israel is the longest-lived democracy in the Middle East. It enjoys a vibrant, multi-party system, an independent judiciary, and freedoms of speech and press. Jews, Muslims, and Christians practice their faiths with few restrictions,” he continued.

"U.S. Christians differ in their understanding of Israel's place within God's plans for human history. But the vast majority does glimpse some kind of divine Providence in Israel's existence and preservation. We are grateful for President Truman's courageous step in 1948 and proud of our nation's role as one of Israel’s few reliable friends,” he added.

Although Israel officially declared its independence on May 14, 1948, celebrations were held one day prior in line with the Hebrew calendar.