Jerusalem: A proud Israel celebrated its 60th independence day with picnics, air force flyovers and parachute jumps today, but the festivities were marred by a paratrooper's crash landing and a clash between Arab protesters and police.

The parachutist and two bystanders were seriously hurt when he missed his target on a Tel Aviv beach and slammed into a crowd of spectators. Later, 11 police and protesters were hurt during a march by Israeli Arabs marking the flipside of independence day joy - the uprooting of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in the 1948 war over Israel s creation.

The march highlighted the tensions between Israel's Jewish majority and Arab minority.

Across the country, Israelis held barbecues in backyards and public parks, and were entertained by a naval parade and a Bible quiz. Israel at 60 is a paradox of exuberance and despair - a country enduring near daily rocket attacks from militants while producing scientists who have pioneered Wi-Fi and instant messaging.

Six decades after rising from the ashes of the Holocaust, the Jewish state is still plagued by threats from abroad and an identity crisis at home. Its 41-year occupation of Palestinian territories has invited international condemnation. Yet Israel is a thriving democracy that has provided a haven for the world s Jews.

Source : PTI