PentulaYid

First off, to answer the question about suspending Omer observances, I asked a senior rabbi at Machon Meir and he said that you can suspend them on YH. If that’s a trusted enough source for you, then there you have it. As far as Hallel goes, my “official” policy is to say it without a bracha, but I’ve found that I get so swept up by the occasion when I’m in a minyan that says it that I wind up saying it as well. Rabbi Soloveitchik recommended saying it after davening without a bracha. My personal opinion on these matters is that their are old machlochuses from Rabbis of yesteryear that are not particularly relevant nowadays and the independence of Israel is unquestionably a huge event in Jewish history. If you want to get technical about it, it’s the most independence Jews have had since first temple times. There’s no shame in recognizing that Hashem has opened up some huge channels for us to bring in the Messianic age. Enjoy.