Tens of thousands attend NYC Israel solidarity parade | The Times of Israel

51st annual Celebrate Israel event attracts over 30,000; anti-Israel protesters turned away by police

Thns of thousands of people gathered in the streets of New York on Sunday to mark the 51st annual Celebrate Israel Parade.

American and Israeli politicians joined 30,000 other people who marched up Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue in a show of solidarity with Israel for the all-day event marking Israel’s 67th birthday.

A number of Knesset members, including Minister without portfolio Ofir Akunis, Minister of Science, Technology and Space Danny Danon (Likud), Avraham Naguise (Likud), Yoav Ben Tzur (Shas) and Revital Swid and Ksenia Svetlova (Zionist Union) represented the Israeli government at the parade.

New York Mayor Bill De Blasio also attended the event.

Some 35 organizations including the Israeli government, Nefesh B’Nefesh and the UJA Federation of New York, sponsored this year’s parade entitled “Israel Imagines Peace.”

Close to 100 soon-to-be immigrants to Israel from the Tri-State area participated in the march, according to Nefesh B’Nefesh.

Separately, the Israel-American Council (IAC) partnered with the Consulate General of Israel in New York and the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York, JCRC-NY to host a festival celebrating Israeli food and culture.