The two-day celebration of the fourth anniversary of Israel’s independence was concluded today with a military parade here which demonstrated the growing military strength of the Jewish State.
Aircraft units, including light reconnaissance and communications planes, flew overhead during the parade. Among the battle planes in the formation were heavy bombers and Mosquito bombers. Also participating in the parade was a mobile column which included heavy and medium anti-aircraft guns, anti-aircraft guns, anti-tank guns and field artillery. The Army’s heavy technical equipment evoked great applause from the 250,000 people who crowded the main streets of Tel Aviv and Jaffa through which the parade passed.
Five thousand infantrymen and hundreds of armored vehicles, including 50 Sherman tanks, passed the reviewing stand where premier David Ben Gurion, who is also the Minister of Defense, and Chief of Staff Brigadier Yigal Yadin took the salute. The entire diplomatic corps, military attaches of all countries which have diplomatic representation in Israel, members of the Cabinet, and hundreds of notables, including representatives of Jewish communities from abroad, witnessed the parade from a special stand. The streets were filled hours before the parade started.
The crowd enthusiastically cheered paratroop units, sailors, air corp units, mule drivers and members of the youth battalion who carried shovels instead of rifles. Also in the line of march were special units of mine detectors and flame throwers. The military nurses were greeted by enthusiastic applause and cheers from the crowd.
MILITARY PARADES HELD IN OTHER ISRAELI TOWNS
The soldiers in the parade, like the spectators lining the streets, came from every part of the world. In the various units were Jews who originally lived in Yemen, Iraq, Rumania and even the United States. All wore their Israeli uniforms proudly and stepped out with a quick, light step, holding their rifles high.
Military parades were also held in the various towns throughout Israel this afternoon. Exercises were held in Rehovoth, Hadera, Nathanya and Petach Tikvah. Arab notables from the Israeli territory in the vicinity of the Jordan-held “triangle” were guests of Nathanya’s Mayor Oved Ben Ami on the reviewing stand. In some of these towns Arab schoolchildren joined in the Independence Day parades.
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