The State of Israel at 67: Ben-Gurion, the Bible and a Happy Birthday

VOI's Daniel Seaman and Daniela Traub discuss the behavior of many Arab citizens of Israel during last week's Holocaust Martyrs' and Heroes' Remembrance Day and upcoming Remembrance Day for the Fallen Soldiers of Israel and Victims of Terrorism. They criticize what they call the deliberate disrespect shown during the country-wide moments of silence, and rant against the invoking of the "Nakba" (Arabic for the "catastrophe" of the establishment of the Jewish state in 1948) as a false narrative of victimhood designed to delegitimize the Israeli nation.

Then, Daniel and Daniel discuss Independence Day in the context of whether Israel has become the country its founding father and first prime minister, David Ben-Gurion, envisioned. They pose this question to Ben-Gurion's grandchild, Dr. Yariv Ben-Eliezer.

Then, Daniel and Daniela reflect on Israel's 67th birthday, which will be celebrated on Thursday, and discuss the individuals who had the greatest impact on the country this year and why.

Finally, Daniel and Daniela are joined in-studio by Gary and Cindy Bayer, a Christian couple who got married in Jerusalem on Easter Sunday 2005, and subsequently created "The Writers' Gathering," sponsoring established screenwriters, TV writers, playwrights, and novelists for a two-week visit to the "Land of the Bible." Two of this year's participants, Terry Botwick and Mark St. Germain, enter the conversation to talk about their experiences in the program.