INN reports that 17-year-old Reut Amichai will be the youngest of the ceremonial torch lighters at this year's Israeli Independence Day opening ceremony on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem. She will light the torch in the name of the Shomer Hachadash organization, and ahead of the event, she stopped by the Israel National News studio to talk about the organization and her excitement ahead of the ceremony.

Reut resides in Neta in the Lahish region and is a student at the Amit Kama high school in Yeruham.

Reut talks about Shomer Hachadash's mission: protecting state-owned lands in various ways, whether by demonstrating presence, agricultural work, or advocacy to connect the general public with the land.

"The organization is for anyone who wants to help the farmers. Agriculture is not a private business. It is a national matter," she says and recalls the reactions of the farmers when they see the younger generation enlisting to help them. "There's nothing greater than seeing the light in the farmer's eyes," she says.

Regarding her work, she says she's a member of the "sucker family," a group of high schoolers the farmers call in as needed. In addition, she is part of the organization's leadership project, which was dedicated in memory of the original Hashomer organization founder Alexander Zaid.

Reut invites more youth to join the organization "to be part of a national mission because the state lands are what protects us." The call also went out on social media, and she says that a large force of young people is spread out across the country. "The youth will be here in a few years, and it's important that we're part of the zionist mission."

Source - INN/Twitter