WASHINGTON – Today, Congressman Byron Donalds (R-FL) released the following statement in acknowledgment of Yom Ha'atzmaut–the 76th anniversary of Israeli independence:

"Today we celebrate the 76^th anniversary of our friend and ally Israel's independence. Forged in fire and currently under existential threat from barbaric Hamas terrorists, the ancient and ancestral homeland of the Jewish people has persevered against all odds, and is a beacon of hope, freedom, and democracy along the Mediterranean Coast."