Yom Hazikaron is purely a remembrance day to recognize and give thanks to those that fell defending the Jews in Eretz Yisrael.
Even if there would be no state we would still need people to defend us. There has been from the secular and frum the concept of Yishuv Eretz yisrael enmasse for the past few hundred years. If you recall the Baal shem tov , the vilna gaon and rav yisroel salanter all encouraged settlement.Whom would you like to protect the people that are there?The antisemitic U.N. peacekeepers or the arabs? We must give thanks and remember those who gave there lives for us.
The point above that this is not in a siddur or sefer has no relevance. Throughout the centuries people have declared celebrations and remembrances such as specific communal fast days or communal purims.Unfortunately are brothers and sisters are not educated enough that perhaps such a day should be spent saying Tehilim or fasting,but there is nothing at all wrong with the concept itself.
Regarding the comment of the secular and the holy being so mixed up,this is tragically true.But realize this is also the fault of the Frum community as much as the secular, if we would reach out nicely instead of with hate, the love would go a long way. The average secular Israeli thinks they know everything they dont know about Yiddishkeit. Education,less stupid zealotry(not one person ever became shomer shabbos by having a rock thrown at them),and accountability and hakaras hatov(the non-frum Israeli society is by default the largest supporter of Torah in the world) would go along way to changing the anti frum atmosphere,and be mikarev more people to the camp of Torah.
Anybody that dies defending the Jews or simply because they are Jewish dies Al Kiddush Hashem.Whether you are for or against the Medina you still have to give thanks and remember the Jews who gave their lives and are still risking their lives defending us. It should definitely be part of your routine to remember the living soldiers and the Kedoshim in your Tefillos and Tehillim.
To hakatan “No, there is no joy from the bloody results of this needless and anti-Torah experiment. ” Dont throw out the baby with the bathwater. Chasvishalom to say that no joy has come about over the last 64 years.As I mentioned above the AntiTorah part is very much are fault almost as much as the seculars.If Bp Flatbush Lakewood and williamsburg would empty out we could change the anti frum climate and bring some moderation to the crazy so called frum zealots. We have become all to comfortable in our galus.May Hashem shield us from any more sorrow and bring Moshiach bimheira Biyamenu