The event brought together representatives of the Bulgarian government, members of parliament, the diplomatic corps, cultural figures, public figures, the media, and representatives of civil society.
The Ambassador of Israel to Bulgaria, H.E. Yossi Levi Sfari, welcomed the guests with an emotional speech, noting that celebrating the country's 76th birthday is not easy given the difficult situation Israel is currently in and the fact that 120 men, women, and children are still being held hostage in Gaza. However, he stated, "As much as we are forced to mourn now, we know that we will flourish again."
In his speech, Ambassador Sfari expressed gratitude to the Bulgarian government and society, who immediately after
October 7th condemned the bloody attack and expressed solidarity with the Israeli people.
As part of the program, guests had the opportunity to view photographs by the renowned Israeli photojournalist Ziv Koren, who captured with his lens the atrocities committed by Hamas terrorists during the October 7th attack