Expats celebrate July 4 in Israel

This Fourth of July marks 249 years of American independence, and U.S. citizens all over the world are finding ways to celebrate the holiday.

In Israel and much of the Middle East, there is a notable difference in festivities this year in the aftermath of the 12-day war between Iran and Israel and the U.S. bombing of Iranian nuclear facilities.

According to the Association of Americans Resident Overseas, the best estimate of Americans living in the Middle East and North Africa is just over 300,000, with more than half residing in Israel.

The U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem, which usually hosts a large Fourth of July event, had to postpone it this year because of the war with Iran. The Association of Americans and Canadians in Israel, a nonprofit organization established to support North American immigrants in Israel and foster connections between the country and North American Jewish communities, also typically hosts an event in honor of the holiday. Still, a representative said the organization would not be doing one this year.

Nefesh B’Nefesh, a nonprofit supporting those making aliyah, despite the uncertainty of the past few weeks, forged on with their plans to celebrate the holiday with a rooftop party at the Nefesh B’Nefesh campus in Jerusalem. The organization estimates that about 2,000 North American immigrants are expected to arrive over the summer, according to The Times of Israel.

Rena Levin, the events and marketing coordinator for the organization, said that they were unsure the party would take place due to the war with Iran, but on the evening of July 3, young people from the U.S. to Ukraine gathered in honor of American Independence Day. With lively conversation, a barbecue dinner, an American playlist and scenic views of Jerusalem, immigrants and native Israelis alike celebrated the holiday.

While many people attended the party to show their patriotism, connect with other Americans or simply have a good time, Leonid Baratz, a Ukrainian Jew who has been in Israel since October 7, working as a journalist for the Ukrainian National Broadcasting Corporation, came with a different goal in mind.

“I wanted to thank them, to thank them on behalf of all Ukrainians, to thank all Americans in their faces for supporting Israel and for supporting America,” he said.

He said the conflicts in Israel and Ukraine are the same war with a common enemy, claiming that Russia is responsible for preparing October 7, backing up Hamas and helping the Iranian nuclear program. “Russia can play neutral or play Israel’s ally, but it is behind all the terror of Iran,” he said.

He came to the Fourth of July party to speak with Americans and gauge their understanding of the situation, but he also expressed his gratitude to them.

Israeli Kedem Yomtov, part of Gush Etzion Brewstillery that provided the drinks at the party, finds it cool that the Fourth of July is being celebrated in Israel, saying there’s no problem with combining Zionist, Israeli and American values. “Israelis are feeling very positive about America at the moment,” he said.

For many U.S. and Israeli dual citizens, celebrating July 4 is a way to stay connected to their American heritage. They recall watching fireworks shows, attending barbecues, setting up picnics and participating in other traditional Fourth of July activities.

“In the U.S., there were always parties happening, especially barbecues. Barbecues here just are not the same to me as American barbecues,” said Chaya Friedman, who moved to Israel two years ago from Brooklyn.

“Fourth of July, to me, is to remember still that I was born and raised in California, I was born and raised in America,” said Benjamin Scharf, the DJ for the event. Originally from Los Angeles, he moved to Israel nine years ago to learn in a yeshiva and later volunteered in the IDF. He explained that July 4 is a way to hold on to his American identity, as well as spend time with other Americans.

“To celebrate together with the American friends has become a tradition. It’s almost like we’re being patriotic in our own way of celebrating together,” he said, sporting a red, white and blue flannel shirt he had specifically picked out for the occasion draped over his stand, as well as two small American flags perched proudly on either side of his setup.

For Asher, who is originally from New York and is now studying in yeshiva with the hopes of becoming a rabbi, the holiday is something familiar. Having made aliyah six years ago, he now feels a stronger connection to being Israeli. However, he still finds ways to celebrate his American identity, such as standing for the national anthem and giving respect to the president. “As much as I live in Israel, the least I can do to be thankful for my own country is to spend some time to celebrate it,” he said.

Despite animated spirits for the holiday, many American-born Israelis feel less connected with their U.S. citizenship, especially the longer they live in Israel.

This is true for Orly Tamir, manager of the aliyah division at Nefesh B’Nefesh. She made aliyah 19 years ago from New York when she was 14 and has since fully integrated into Israeli society, including attending high school in the country and serving in the army. “I’m more Israeli than I am American at this point in my life, thank God,” she said. “I’m American on my passport. I was born there, but my identity is not American.”

As an Orthodox Jew, Scharf said he feels more comfortable in Israel than in the U.S., where he feels like an outsider when celebrating Jewish holidays. “Israel feels more of a home than I’ve ever felt in America,” he said.

Another immigrant from New York, Shoshana, who moved to Israel eight years ago, said she feels safer walking the streets of Jerusalem even in wartime than she does in New York. For Shoshana, whose grandparents originally immigrated to New York because of the Holocaust, July 4 was not a big deal when she was in the U.S., mainly serving as a day off.

Chaim Davids, owner and founder of the Prohibition Pickle, which catered the event, also said he never really felt a connection to the Fourth of July, despite growing up in Baltimore. “Like a lot of U.S. Jews, very connected to America in the sense that it’s been a safe haven,” he said, but explained he never felt very patriotic about the holiday, even in Israel. “The Fourth of July connection is just being in this Anglo community that Nefesh B’Nefesh has built, and that’s special.”

Shoshana explained that the longer a person spends in Israel, the more it becomes their identity, a statement Asher echoed. “My identity leans more toward Israeli, but it doesn’t mean that I am ignoring my American heritage,” he said. Though he feels more connected to his Israeli identity, he doesn’t believe it means giving up his American heritage. “It doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to give one up to become the other,” he said.

Law intern Daniel Damti, whose family moved to Israel when he was 12, said being Israeli-American is “the best of both worlds,” although he admitted he misses Super Bowl Sunday.

For many American immigrants, the U.S. holiday they continue to celebrate most in Israel is Thanksgiving. Israeli stores even know to stock up on turkeys before the holiday, Shoshana said. Though her family celebrates Thanksgiving, she told her mother doesn’t understand the need to cook for it on Thursday and then immediately prepare for Shabbat dinner the next day.

Benji Lanken originally came to Israel in 2014 for yeshiva, then served in the army, attended law school, and is set to take the bar exam next week. He said his family, whom he brought to Israel after he first made aliyah, has always been extremely connected to Thanksgiving. “We still try to do Thanksgiving every year, but it’s not the same thing,” he said.

The Fourth of July event was organized by Nefesh B’Nefesh, which works in partnership with the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration, the Jewish Agency for Israel, Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael and Jewish National Fund-USA.

Outside of Israel, many hotels and restaurants in the Middle East, such as in the UAE and Bahrain, have hosted events in the past in honor of the Fourth of July, sometimes preparing a special menu of American food and drinks. This year, however, many places are not taking part in the festivities.

While it is quieter for some venues, Claw BBQ in Dubai is still celebrating the American holiday with a Fourth of July theme and a special menu, according to Megan Waldeck, an employee. She said the Dubai branch has celebrated the occasion ever since it opened two years ago. The venue was full last Fourth of July, and they are preparing for the holiday this year, she said.

Also in Dubai, the iconic Burj Khalifa will be lit up with the American flag at 8:10 p.m. on July 4, a representative confirmed. The world’s tallest building, which also displays the American flag on the Fourth of July, has a history of being lit up for patriotic days of other nations, such as Bastille Day in France.

With the large American diaspora across the Middle East, and the U.S. strengthening ties with many Arab nations, as well as continuing to support Israel, American Independence Day celebrations have become common overseas. Despite living thousands of miles outside the U.S., Americans can still feel connected to their country through patriotic festivities.