At least 1,000,000 men, women and children lined New York City’s streets today to great David Ben Gurion, Premier of the state of Israel. Preliminary police estimates said a huge crowd of 100,000 persons gathered at City Ball to see Mayor Vincent R. Impellitteri present the key to the city to the leader of the Jewish state.
Over 2,000 American servicemen, contingents from the Police, Fire and Sanitation Departments and 200 sailors from Israel’s two-vessel flotilla which is now in New York’s port participated in the parade up Broadway to City Hall. A 60-man Sanitation Department band played the “Star Spangled Banner” and “Hatikvah” alternately as miles of ticker tape floated down from the windows of skyscrapers in New York’s financial district.
Cheers and applause from the throngs lining the streets along the route of march rolled out in waves as the 25-car official motorcade carrying the Premier, his wife, the official party and the municipal reception committee moved slowly northward from the Battery. An escort of 60 motorcycle policeman, who had accompanied the Israeli party into the city from Idlewild Airport this morning, paced the motorcade throughout.
Mr. Ben Gurion and his party arrived at Idlewild Airport at 9.35 this morning in a special Pan-American airliner. As the plane taxied to a halt about two miles from the Administrative Building, the Fire Department Bend played several selections. A crowd of about 500, held back by 50 police, cheered as he alighted from the plane and was greeted by Grover Whalen, chairman of the Mayor’s committee. Among the welcomers were Lazarus Joseph, New York City Comptroller.
25 DETECTIVES GUARD BEN GURION AND HIS PARTY
Mr. Ben Gurion went from the plane to a flag-bedecked stand and stood attention with the crowd as the band played the “Hatikvah” and the “Star Spangled Banner.” He smiled and waved to several friends in the crowd as photographers took pictures of the scene. In a brief address, Mr. Ben Gurion said:
“I am glad to be here in New York although you understand I would prefer to be in my own country. But since I am here in the United States, I certainly am glad to be here in New York because this is the biggest Jewish community there ever has been in one place. It is bigger, I am sorry to say, than the whole state of Israel. And I look forward to the day when the state of Israel will be as big as this Jewish community. I am glad to be here,” he continued, turning to Mrs. Ben Gurion, “because have stands the girl married and here my first child was born. I hope this visit will crater goodwill between our two countries, my little country and your great nation.
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