Israel’s 21st anniversary next year will be celebrated without a military parade, an annual feature in the past. A ministerial committee will be appointed to decide how the day should be observed. The Cabinet decided not to hold a parade next year. The commander-in-chief of the armed forces, Gen. Haim Bar-Lev told the Government he doubted whether a military parade was a fitting method of marking the day. Other leaders have opposed it on the grounds of expense and in the belief that it is not necessary to display the state’s military power.
The parade last May 2, largest in Israel’s history, was steeped in controversy. It was condemned in a resolution of the Security Council, principally because its route included streets in East Jerusalem, occupied during the Six-Day War. Secretary-General U Thant told the Council at the time that he thought the parade would hurt peace efforts in the Middle East. The resolution criticized the parade as a violation of the Israel-Jordan 1948 armistice agreement.
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