Prayers were said for a real and lasting peace between Israel and its neighbours.

9 May 2008

ANTWERP - The Jewish community in Belgium celebrated the 60th anniversary of the state of Israel on Wednesday night. Young and old partied and danced late into the night in Antwerp.

David Ben-Gurion declared the independence of the Jewish state in May 1948, after the Holocaust.

Today, 7 million people live in Israel. The Jewish community in Belgium was keen to emphasise that the state was not going to disappear.

During a service in the synagogue, the faithful prayed for a real and lasting peace for Israel and its neighbours.

The celebrations continue in Brussels on Monday.

[flandersenews.be / Expatica]

We invite you to contribute to this article by sending related photos or videos. You can either send them to photos@expatica.com or add them to our newly-created flickr group at http://www.flickr.com/people/expatica/. All contributed material will be credited accordingly.