Young and old, Jews and non-Jews, black and white participated under sunny skies in the annual Salute to Israel Parade up Fifth Avenue today. About 300,000 persons were estimated to have viewed the parade which featured 75,000 marchers, 50 floats and 25 bands from throughout the United States and Canada. The parade was sponsored by the American Zionist Youth Foundation.
The parade which started at 57th street and continued to 86th street had as its theme “proclaim Liberty Throughout the Land,” the Biblical quotation inscribed on the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia. Simcha Dinitz, Israel’s Ambassador to the United States, Chaim Hergoz, Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations; and Uri Ben Ari, Israel’s Consul General in New York were honorary guests on the reviewing stand.
STATE OFFICIALS ON REVIEWING STAND
Dinitz declared that the parade is a demonstration of American support for Israel and that a strong Israel supported by America will bring the desired peace to the Middle East. He congratulated the American people who are now celebrating the Bicentennial of the founding of the U.S. Herzog said that the parade is a reaffirmation by the American people of its support for Israel.
Also on the reviewing stand were New Jersey Gov. Brendan Byrne; New York Lt. Gov. Mary Ann Krupsak; Sen. James Buckley (R-C, NY) Sen. Jacob K. Javits (R.NY), Sen. Clifford P. Case (R. NJ) members of the House of Representatives and State and local officials. California Gov. Edmund J. Brown. Jr., was present A message was read from former Gov. Jimmy Carter of Georgia.
The spectators, cheering and waving Israeli and American flags, watched a variety of bands playing Israeli songs and floats passing by depicting the history of Zionism and Israel. Some floats depicted the emigration struggle of Soviet Jewry. Other highlights included a group of Boy Scouts from Israel; a group of non-Jewish men and women from Denver, Colo, who sang Israeli songs, and 15 Israeli high school students especially brought to the U.S. for the Bicentennial year who sang and danced to Israeli songs. One marcher was 93-year-old Edward Horowitz, of New York, who has participated in every Salute to Israel parade.
A brief disturbance occurred when some 50 members of the Jewish Defense League sat down in front of the reviewing stand in what they said was support for the Gush Emunim squatters in Kadum in Samaria. During a brief scuffle with police, 12 of the JDL demonstrators were reportedly arrested.
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.
