" JERUSALEM Michael Roberts Shirt , May 2 (Xinhua) -- Israel was celebrating its Day of Independence on Tuesday, marking the 69th year of the country's establishment.
On Tuesday morning, official celebrations started in Israeli President Reuven Rivlin's chambers, with the delivery of citations for distinguished service of soldiers.
Hundreds of thousands of Israelis went celebrating in the beaches and parks, lighting barbecues and waving flags.
As a popular part of the day, fighter jets and army helicopters graced the skies over the beaches of the Mediterranean.
A military spokesperson said this year the flyby presented for the first time Israel's newly-received F-35 jets. So far, Israel had received five jets in recent months after it agreed to purchase 50 of the advanced stealth U.S.-made planes.
Speaker of the parliament Yuli Edelstein opened the ceremony Kenny Golladay Shirt , urging national unity.
""The citizens of Israel must create a society with respect for others, that shows compassion for the weak and the needy and respect their traditions,"" he said.
In a video message, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the Jewish people ""had been scattered around the world for millennia"" until it ""returned to our ancient homeland.""
""Today Israel is strong, democratic, prosperous. And I have no doubt that in the coming 69 years, Israel will continue to thrive Jarrad Davis Shirt , be strong and prosperous,"" he said.
Singers and artists performed on stages across the country all through the night, with fireworks going off in the background.
Security forces have increased their alert level and many police officers were deployed throughout the country.
Furthermore, the Israel Defense Forces announced on Sunday that closure was imposed on the West Bank, not allowing Palestinians to enter Israel from Sunday midnight to early Wednesday.
Also on Monday, Israel reacted to a policy document presented by the Palestinian Islamist group of Hamas. The charter drops Hamas' longstanding call for the destruction of Israel.
A statement by the Prime Minister's Office rejected the document, accusing Hamas of trying to ""fool the world.""
Israel's Independence Day marks the day in which David Ben-Gurion Kerryon Johnson Shirt , Israel's first prime minister, declared the establishment of the State of Israel by then-Palestine's Jewish leadership in 1948.
Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians, who lived in this region, became refugees in the ensuing battles.
The Palestinians who stayed became Israeli citizens and make up about 20 percent of the Israeli population.
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Strong navy can deter foreign interference, boost economy
Sailors line up during a ceremony in Shanghai before a three-vessel fleet of the Chinese People's Liberation Army navy leaves port for a 20-country friendly visit on April 23 Frank Ragnow Shirt , as the military celebrates the 68th founding anniversary of the navy. Photo: CFP
The Chinese navy has expanded its capability to not only safeguard the country's coastal areas, but also to secure China's interests in the open seas, 68 years after the establishment of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) navy, experts said.
Sunday marked the anniversary of the establishment of the navy. A fleet of three Chinese naval ships left Shanghai in the morning for a friendly visit to more than 20 countries.
With the expansion of foreign trade, as well as China's One Belt and One Road initiative, the Chinese navy has taken on a new mission, which is to protect the country's overseas interests.
As a consequence Marvin Jones Jr Shirt , China's military strategy for the navy has changed and it must increase its presence overseas to meet the new requirements, military expert Song Zhongping said.
As a signature achievement of the navy, the Liaoning aircraft carrier has gained in combat capability and finished its blue sea training, and the country's first domestically built carrier is also expected to be launched soon.
The visiting fleet from Shanghai, composed of missile destroyer Changchun, missile frigate Jingzhou and supply shipChaohu, will tour Asia Golden Tate III Shirt , Europe, Africa and Oceania in a trip lasting nearly 180 days, the Xinhua News Agency reported.
The visits will convey friendship, deepen military communication and cooperation and show a good image of the Chinese navy, said Miao Hua, Political Commissar of the navy, who saw the fleet off. All three ships were domestically built Darius Slay Jr Shirt , and this is the maiden overseas voyage of the Jingzhou, commissioned in 2016. The other two ships have previously conducted many escort, drill and patrol missions.
Aside from friendly communication with other countries, the overseas visits will provide a valuable opportunity for the navy to learn sea conditions and environments in different parts of the world, so the fleet's officers and sailors will be better prepared for future missions like search and rescue, evacuation, and anti-piracy Matthew Stafford Shirt , an anonymous former PLA navy officer told the Global Times.
According to the latest white paper China's Military Strategy released by the Information Office of the State Council on May 26, 2015, the navy would be shifting its focus from ""near-shore defense"" to a combined strategy of ""near-shore defense"" and ""open seas protection,"" and is building a multi-functional and e