The 29th anniversary of the establishment of the State of Israel was indelibly recorded last Sunday by an estimated record crowd of 15,000 persons. The day’s festivities began with a parade of 70 marching units–also a record–led by Mayor Frank Rizzo. Israel 29 was sponsored by the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Philadelphia and the Philadelphia Zionist Federation.
Highlighting the day’s activities, which included an Israeli bazaar laden with food, drink, arts and crafts, was keynote speaker Asher Naim, Consul General of Israel, who elicited warm applause from his audience when he said, “Israel’s desire for peace is not because we are weak. We are strong. We seek peace because it is good for Israel and Arabs alike.”
He added, “we read in the newspapers about Arab leaders coming to Washington to negotiate with President Carter about peace in the Middle East. This shows us that the Arabs do not mean to have peace with Israel. Egypt is not at war with America. Jordan has no territorial conflict with the United States. They should negotiate with Israel. When they negotiate with Israel we will know they mean peace.”
Naim drew the loudest applause when he stated, “We are celebrating the tenth year of the unification of Jerusalem into one city. For the first time in Jerusalem’s history all religions at all denominations–Christian, Moslem and Jew–are free to pray.”
FREE WORLD DEPENDS ON ISRAEL
Esther Polen, president of the Jewish Community Relations Council, introduced Rizzo, who earlier in the week had officially proclaimed May 1 as “Israel 29 Day.” “Today the free world depends on Israel to help preserve the confidence that freedom can be more than a dream,” Rizzo said. “This inspiration is important to the future of all mankind.”
But, he noted, “As we celebrate the freedom of Israel, let us remember that not all the children of Israel are tree. (In the Soviet Union) they are forbidden to come and go as they wish, forbidden the foods their religion requires them to eat, forbidden to worship as their Torah teaches them to worship, forbidden prayer books, forbidden to gather to worship. . . .But the spirit that lives in Israel goes forth to inspire even those behind the iron curtain to believe that the future does not rest with dictators.”
Afterward, thousands of people strolled leisurely through the park, many with their families, in picnic fashion, sampling the food, drink, arts and crafts.
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