“Peace to Israel” was the theme of the 10th annual Salute to Israel parade here today, and an estimated 300,000 spectators and 75,000 marchers turned up to sing, shout, and dance up Fifth Avenue to express their hopes for that peace. A total of 50 floats and 23 bands took part in this American Zionist Youth Foundation-sponsored celebration of the 26th birthday of the State of Israel, joined by young marchers from synagogues and youth groups from throughout the northeastern United States.
Floats and marchers reflected the events which took place in the Middle East during the past year, many of them emphasizing the strength of the nation of Israel and the need for Arab-Israeli peace. One of the brightly-colored displays featured rows of tulips carried by marchers from the Bialik Day School in Brooklyn, a tribute to the Netherlands for backing Israel during the Yom Kippur War and the ensuing energy crisis.
Special guests at the annual event included Israel’s Ambassador to the United States Simcha Dinitz and Consul General for Israel in New York David Rivlin. Also attending were Mayor Abe Beame and various congressmen and city and state officials.
In his brief remarks to the crowd, Dinitz linked the parade theme of peace with the need for unity among the Jewish people. “We will succeed at peace if we remain strong, if we remain one,” he said. “There is no force in the world that can eradicate Israel from the face of the earth. All attempts have failed and they will continue to fail.”
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
