New York’s annual Israel Day parade takes place Sunday along Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue, where beefed-up security forces stand ready to confront demonstrators distraught by the ongoing war with Hamas.
The parade comes almost eight months to the day since Hamas terrorists’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel, which launched the country into a war that is now fought primarily in Gaza.
Typically a celebratory event, this year’s parade will have a much different tone, as organizers say the rallies will focus on solidarity with Israel and the Jewish cause, as well as the continuing hope that the hostages still in Palestinian captivity will be released.
Mark Treyger, CEO of the Jewish Community Relations Council, said the mood today was “confetti and music.”
“Rather, it is about a sense of unwavering and unwavering solidarity with the hostages to bring them home, but also about our unwavering love and pride in our Jewish identity,” he said, according to the Associated Press.
Security was significantly increased ahead of Sunday’s Israeli parade on Fifth Avenue on Manhattan’s Upper East Side.
The parade, which has been taking place for nearly 60 years – this year will be the 59th – begins at 11:30 a.m. at 57th and Fifth Avenue.
Organizers say they expect some 40,000 participants, including several Israeli officials and some family members of the hostages.
Treyger added that despite an alarming rise in anti-Semitism since October 7, canceling the parade was never considered.
However, enhanced security will be in place to help participants enjoy this moment.
Drones, K-9 units, bike patrols, and fencing and barriers will all be in place along the approximately mile-long parade route.
Large bags and coolers will not be allowed on site and spectators will be asked to pass through metal detectors.
City officials said Friday that there had been no specific or credible threats before the event and that protesters had the right to demonstrate as long as it remained peaceful.
Mayor Eric Adams, who condemned the disruptive and sometimes illegal behavior of anti-Israel protesters around the city, said: “We will not allow any illegality or disruption of any heritage celebration in this city. »
Although there have been thousands of protests related to the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas in New York since October 7, Sunday’s parade will be the first large-scale Jewish event since the outbreak of the war, according to Adams.
Making an appearance at the parade on Sunday, Adams, who stood alongside Israeli singer Eden Golan – who recently represented her country at Eurovision – said: “Our message is extremely clear. Destroy Hamas, bring the hostages home. Let us bring peace, so as not to lose the lives of innocent people.
Parade participants, hostage families and others prepare to march along 5th Avenue today
New York law enforcement expects protests to take place along Israel’s parade on Sunday, which Mayor Eric Adams has made clear is perfectly acceptable, as long as they remain peaceful.
There have been thousands of protests in New York linked to the war between Israel and Hamas since October.
Parade participants march past Trump Tower on 5th Avenue
Participants held signs depicting hostages as they marched down Fifth Avenue
A small number of radical Hasidic Jews arrived to protest the Israeli parade – their very small faction comes most years to demonstrate
A small handful of ultra-Orthodox sects of Judaism, including groups like Neturei Karta and the Satmar Hasidim, do not recognize the modern State of Israel.
A large “Free them now” flag is waved during the fifth Israel Day parade, which went largely smoothly on Sunday
A New York City Police officer stops and argues between a pro-Palestinian protester and a pro-Israel protester after the annual Israel Day parade on Fifth Avenue, Sunday, June 2, 2024.
Due to the dire circumstances of the hostages and the war, there will be no music, bands or celebratory singing during this year’s parade.
The chorus of the parade will be “Bring Them Home”, the slogan now associated with the mission to repatriate each of the hostages.
The event is expected to end around 4 p.m. on Sunday after completing the full route. New York officials expect disruptions similar to those seen during the 2023 Thanksgiving parade.
During the iconic Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade late last year, protesters unveiled a “Free Palestine” sign as they rode floats and participated in the march.
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