NEW YORK: An annual New York City rally for Israel that drew thousands of spectators started on Sunday with increased safety and a strong emphasis on cooperation with the Israeli occupation of Gaza.
The rally comes about eight months after the extraordinary Oct. 7 strike by Hamas, the deadliest in Israel’s story. In the past, the parade was dubbed” Celebrate Israel,” but organizers said the enthusiastic atmosphere may be halted this year because of the conflict and Israeli victims still being held in captivity, as well as hatred outbursts around the world.
Individuals chanted,” Bring them home nowadays”! and chanted Jewish banners as they marched along Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. This time, the way of what is being called” Israel Day on Fifth” was crowded with masses of fans.
Mark Treyger, CEO of the Jewish Community Relations Council, said earlier this week that the celebration may focus on unity, strength and endurance.
” This is not a feeling of confetti and music”, Treyger said. This is more of a “monopoly of impenetrable cooperation with hostages to bring them home, as well as our unwavering love and pride in our Hebrew identity,” the author says.
The festival, which is in its 59th time, kicked off at about 11: 30 a. m. Sunday and was expected to bring more than 40, 000 members, including Israeli officials, artists and some of the victims ‘ people.
Treyger claimed there was never any notion of rescheduling the festival this season despite what he termed an astronomical increase in hatred.
” This is a time that we have to meet”, he said.
But there was considerable protection.
Representatives from the New York Police Department announced on Friday that they intend to put in place the standard procedures for events with high profile like New Year’s Eve and July 4th. That includes robots, K- 9 products, vehicle patrols, fencing and barriers and designated access points for spectators all along the parade way.
Backpacks, large bags and coolers will be prohibited. With police blocking off the west side of Fifth Avenue, spectators will have to pass through metal detectors and be limited to the east side of the street.
City officials emphasized on Friday that any protestors have the right to demonstrate as long as it is done peacefully and that there are no specific or credible threats to either the parade or the city.
At a security briefing, New York City Mayor Eric Adams said,” We’re not going to allow any unlawfulness and any disruption of any celebration of one’s heritage in this city.”
The parade represents the first large- scale Jewish event in the city since the war started, although there have been roughly 2, 800 protests in the city, with about 1, 300 of them related to the conflict, the Democrat said.
Israel’s strategy of systematic destruction in Gaza is receiving a lot of international criticism, which has resulted in significant casualties. Israeli bombardments and ground offensives in the besieged territory have killed more than 36, 000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between combatants and civilians.
