For the fifth year in a row, Israeli President Reuven Rivlin will host the main celebrations on the morning of Israel’s 71st Independence Day in a singing event called “All Israel From Jerusalem”. The event, a tribute to the spirit of Israel and with Israel’s leading artists, will be held on Thursday 9 May in the gardens of Beit HaNasi in Jerusalem.

The celebrations will continue with the traditional ceremony for outstanding soldiers, attended by Israel’s leading political and security figures, Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Binyamin Netanyahu, IDF Chief of Staff Lt-Gen Aviv Kochavi and current and former members of the IDF General Staff.

Ahead of the event, President Rivlin went out to the gardens of Beit HaNasi Tuesday morning, where he met the 120 outstanding soldiers who were rehearsing for the ceremony.

The president welcomed the excited soldiers, saying “Greetings to the best of the best. It’s wonderful to see you. I welcome you here, as the president does every year. This is truly uplifting day. You are the chosen 120 from the very best who come here so that the whole State of Israel can salute you, and through you salute the entire IDF. I see berets here of all colors, and together they make up our army.” The president also thanked Lt-Col Oded Nahari, who will command the event for the 18th year, and asked to makes sure that the soldiers also have an opportunity to enjoy the day.”

During the event a video clip which was filmed especially for the celebrations will be screened. Starring President Rivlin and the singer Boaz Sharabi, more than 20 choirs and singing groups, kindergartens, artistic gymnastic groups and dancers from the dance department of Beit Halohem and others gathered at Beit HaNasi and were the human background, some 500 people, for the song “Halevai” (“If Only”), written by Boaz Sharabi, words by Ehud Manor.