What was originally planned as a celebration of Israel’s 77th Independence Day turned into an evening of unity, grief and resolve.
Hosted at the Dolby Theater, the event — organized by the Consulate General of Israel to the Pacific Southwest, in partnership with StandWithUs, IAC, and the Jewish Federation of Los Angeles — was the first major community gathering since last week’s terrorist attack in Washington D.C. that claimed the lives of two Israeli Embassy employees.
The guests stood for one minute of silence in memory of Sarah Milgrim and Yaron Lischinsky, who were murdered on May 21 outside the Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C.
With security tight and emotions raw, the evening struck a balance between solemn remembrance and a show of solidarity. Outside the venue, on Hollywood Boulevard, a small group of protesters waved Palestinian flags and shouted slogans. Some attendees reported being harassed while entering and leaving the theater. However, they went unnoticed by those who parked at the Dolby Theater.
Master of Ceremonies comedian Elon Gold reminded everyone why humor is a Jewish survival tool. After discovering a large portion of the audience was from the Persian-Jewish community he announced:
“I live among the Persian community. After the ads for this event ran in The Jewish Journal, they were knocking on my door like, ‘Can you give me 19 tickets? Just me and my family.’” The crowd roared, the moment a welcome break from the heaviness of the headlines.
Consul General Israel Bachar opened the night with a passionate speech. “When the silent majority accommodates, rather than confronts, hate-filled slogans like ‘Free, Free Palestine’ and ‘Intifada Revolution,’ words turn into bullets — like those 21 bullets that killed Yaron and Sara.”
Bachar pointed the finger not just at the gunman, but at a wider movement. “The pro-Hamas Palestinian movement, financed here in America by the Muslim Brotherhood, collaborates with neo-Marxist groups who call for the elimination of democracy. It endangers America’s security and calls for the destruction of Israel. But let me say this clearly: Israel is not going anywhere. Israel will win — with YOU!”
Erin Molan, the Australian television presenter who was fired from Sky News Australia in December 2024, and who is widely believed to have lost her job due to her outspoken support for Israel, also spoke. Since her departure from Sky News, Molan has continued her activism and taken on new projects, including hosting a news show on X.
As one of the evening’s featured speakers, Molan shared her personal story.
“If you told me I’d go on my show, condemn a terrorist group, and it would endanger my life, I would’ve said, ‘You’re dreaming.’ I thought what I said was obvious,” she said.
Fearing for both her own life and her six-year-old daughter’s, Molan made the decision to send her daughter to live with her ex-fiancé so she could continue to speak out forcefully and without restraint.
“I knew it wasn’t going to be easy,” she said. “I’ve lost all my jobs. I live under constant threat. But I wouldn’t change a thing. I spoke from the heart. And I will keep speaking, because they don’t only want to destroy Israel — they want to destroy all of us. This threat is existential.”
Another emotional moment came when the audience heard from former hostage Eliya Cohen. Another freed hostage, Eli Sharabi, was scheduled to speak but was unable to attend. Instead, Cohen, who had been held in Gaza for 505 days, took the stage. He was kidnapped by Hamas from “The Bunker of Death,” where 16 young men and women were murdered. Cohen was taken hostage alongside friends Or Levy, Alon Ohel, and Hersh Goldberg-Polin, who lost an arm in the attack. Cohen recounted how he endured unspeakable torture, starvation, and mental anguish while in captivity.
Speaking publicly for the first time since his release, Cohen described how he initially believed his fiancée, Ziv, had died in the attack. He clung to the hope that she might have survived — and she did, miraculously, after being buried under bodies in the same small bunker.
Cohen also shared some words for his friend Alon Ohel, who remains in captivity. “He is one of the most gentle men and a pianist. When we said goodbye he was crying. I said, ‘Don’t worry, you’ll be released in a few days,’ but I was wrong. Until we meet again in Israel — it’s not over. And that’s why I stand here tonight. We have to bring him home to his family.”
Since his release in February, Cohen has also learned that another close friend, Elkana Bohbot, remains in Gaza. “He needs to come home to his wife and family,” Cohen said. “We are here celebrating independence. For me, independence is the ability to live freely. The fact that I survived and that I’m standing here in front of you tonight is a miracle. After 505 days, I know the true meaning of freedom — and fighting for the others [still there] is the most Jewish, Israeli, and human thing we should do.”
The evening concluded with musical performances from Israeli pop star Itay Levy and local singers Eden Kontesz and Gilat Rapaport. Fourteen-year-old Kontesz performed “New Day Will Rise,” the Israeli song that took second place at Eurovision. As the music filled the Dolby Theater, many audience members stood with hands on hearts or arms around one another, waiving the Israeli and American flags.
Their message was clear: no amount of fear, hatred, or loss will silence this community.
