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Israel marks 60 years as political clouds gather
JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel celebrated its 60th birthdaywith barbecues and military display on Thursday but the partywas marred by an investigation that could unseat the primeminister and derail efforts toward a peace it has never known.
Blue-on-white Star of David flags fluttered from cars,rooftops and balconies, fighter planes traced "60" in smoketrails across the sky, paratroopers dropped into the sea and atelevised youth Bible quiz highlighted the place Jewish faithholds in a state mainly founded by secular Zionists.
War or the threat of it has clouded every day for Israelissince David Ben-Gurion declared their state in 1948 that wasdestined to be a haven for survivors of the Nazi Holocaust.
On Thursday, families gathered to focus on the positive andon national pride. "It's an emotional day," said Tzviya Gilboa,57, among vast crowds packing sunny beaches at Tel Aviv."Anything that is connected to Israel is exciting to me."
Keren Yohanan, 35, attended a barbecue at her cousin's homenear Jerusalem. "I'm happy that Israel is 60," she said. "Thereis excitement but I am simply happy for what we have inIsrael."
Fireworks, light shows and military fanfare launchedcelebrations on Wednesday and Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, whois pursuing a deal for a Palestinian state alongside Israel,said the Jewish state craved an end to the decades-oldconflict.
"In the state of Israel's 60th year, we can say that Godhas fulfilled his promise," Olmert said on Thursday, hoursbefore police said they expected to ease sweeping restrictionson reporting details of the investigation into his affairs.
"We, the descendants of Abraham, have inherited the land,we have filled it, we have made the desert bloom, built andmade it glorious," he said. "The spirit of sacrifice stillbeats within us and is still sadly setting us trials that arehard to bear."
Israel's most important ally and the chief sponsor of peacetalks launched six months ago, U.S. President George W. Bush,visits next week. So do top executives from Google and Yahoo --testament to Israel's success as a technology powerhouse.
Security was intense for fear of attacks and armed policeguarded revellers on the beaches. Measures to stop Palestiniansentering Israel from Gaza and the West Bank were tightened.
Six Islamic Jihad militants were wounded in an Israeli airstrike in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip, medical staff said.
SOLEMN MARCH
While Israelis partied, Palestinians held a solemn march inBethlehem to mark the "nakba", or catastrophe, of the Jewishstate's creation, when about 700,000 people, half the Arabpopulation of Palestine, fled or were driven from their homes.
Holding banners vowing never to give up their "right toreturn" to land now part of Israel, protesters rallied around a10-metre-long key, a symbol of the dream to reclaim lost homes.
"It hurts me dreadfully to see Israel celebrating becauseof our suffering, our expulsion and the loss of our homeland,"said Monther Amireh, as Israeli planes roared overhead.
In northern Israel, thousands wearing black armbands andwaving Palestinian flags rallied at a site where an Arabvillage once stood. It is now a Roman-era archaeological site.
Israel's festivities were clouded by the policeinvestigation into Olmert's affairs, which has arousedspeculation he may have to quit, upsetting peace talks alreadybeset by squabbles over Jewish settlements and violence inGaza.
Already the focus of a series of corruption scandals inwhich he has denied any wrongdoing, Olmert was questioned atshort notice by police last Friday over fresh allegations.
Olmert convened a news conference at his Jerusalemresidence at short notice late on Thursday night, as judicialofficials discussed whether to lift a sweeping media gag orderthat has prevented the reporting of details of the probe.
Washington said Olmert was a "very important" player in thepeace process but noted he was not Israel's onlyrepresentative. Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, seen as thelikeliest successor to Olmert within his Kadima party, leadsIsrael's negotiating team.
Founded on the basis of Jewish claims to biblical land andas a haven for survivors of European persecution thatculminated in the Holocaust, Israel declared independence onMay 14, 1948.
Israelis celebrate the day according to the Jewishcalendar.
(Additional reporting by Brenda Gazzar in Jerusalem, AvidaLandau and Ari Rabinovitch in Tel Aviv and Mohammed Assadi inBethlehem; Editing by Kevin Liffey)
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