The day on which Israelis commemorate the anniversary of the state's founding. It is preceded a day earlier by Yom Ha'Zikaron, when the entire country stops to "remember" the more than 22,000 soldiers and civilians who have given their lives in defense of the land of Israel or as the result of terrorism since the start of organized Jewish settlement in the 1880s. While Jewish Israelis treat Independence Day as a celebration, most Arab citizens of Israel mark it as a day for mourning the nakhba ("disaster") associated with Israel's creation. Independence Day is celebrated annually on 14 May. On the Jewish calendar, it is commemorated on the sixth day of the month of Iyar.
Historical Dictionary of Israel. Bernard Reich David H. Goldberg. Edited by Jon Woronoff..