Following a solemn remembrance of Israel's fallen on Wednesday as part of Memorial Day commemorations, Israelis kicked off celebration of its milestone 70th anniversary on Wednesday night in Independence Day festivities at Mount Herzl in Jerusalem. The ceremony, which was the biggest and most expensive ever for the Jewish state, featured more than 1,500 participants, including 150 musicians, 400 choir singers, 350 dancers and hundreds of flag-bearers. Some 6,500 Israelis and guests turned out for the torch-lighting ceremony, also the largest to date. In Washington, more than 60 Republican and Democratic lawmakers attended a Tuesday lunch on Capitol Hill hosted by the Israeli-American Council to mark the occasion. Israeli security forces thwarted two attacks over the course of the 24-hour Memorial Day period. More >