actsnoblemartin
05-08-2008, 12:41 PM
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080508/ap_on_re_mi_ea/israel_at60
JERUSALEM - Israel staged its 60th birthday bash with fireworks, air force flyovers and a great sense of pride Thursday, but also with uncertainty about its future and doubts about prospects for peace with the Palestinians.
Across the country, Israelis held barbecues in backyards and public parks, and were entertained by naval parades and a Bible quiz. But a celebratory parachute jump over Tel Aviv injured three spectators after a parachutist crashed into a crowd.
Israel at 60 is a paradox of exuberance and despair — a country enduring near daily rocket attacks from militants while producing scientists who have pioneered Wi-Fi and instant messaging. Six decades after rising from the ashes of the Holocaust, the Jewish state is still plagued by threats from abroad and an identity crisis at home.
JERUSALEM - Israel staged its 60th birthday bash with fireworks, air force flyovers and a great sense of pride Thursday, but also with uncertainty about its future and doubts about prospects for peace with the Palestinians.
Across the country, Israelis held barbecues in backyards and public parks, and were entertained by naval parades and a Bible quiz. But a celebratory parachute jump over Tel Aviv injured three spectators after a parachutist crashed into a crowd.
Israel at 60 is a paradox of exuberance and despair — a country enduring near daily rocket attacks from militants while producing scientists who have pioneered Wi-Fi and instant messaging. Six decades after rising from the ashes of the Holocaust, the Jewish state is still plagued by threats from abroad and an identity crisis at home.