- The parade will be the first large-scale Jewish event in New York since October 7.
- Organizers said they did not consider canceling, but security will be beefed up.
New York City’s annual Israel Day parade will take place Sunday along Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue, where beefed up security forces are prepared to confront protesters distraught over the ongoing war with Hamas.
The parade takes place nearly eight months after the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas terrorists on Israel, which launched the nation into a war now being fought primarily in Gaza.
Usually a celebratory event, this year’s parade will have a very different tone, as organizers say the gathering will focus on solidarity with Israel and the Jewish cause, as well as the continued hope that the hostages still held in Palestinian captivity are released.
Mark Treyger, executive director of the Jewish Community Relations Council, said the atmosphere today is “confetti and music.”
“This is more of a feeling of unwavering and strong solidarity with the hostages to bring them home, and also our unwavering love and pride in our Jewish identity,” he said, according to the Associated Press.
Security has been significantly stepped up ahead of Sunday’s Israel parade down Fifth Avenue in Manhattan’s Upper East Side (parade photo from 2018)
The parade, which has been held for almost 60 years (this year will be the 59th), begins at 11:30 a.m. at 57th and Fifth Avenue.
Organizers say they expect about 40,000 participants, including several official Israeli representatives and some relatives of the hostages.
Treyger added that despite an alarming rise in anti-Semitism since Oct. 7, canceling the parade was never a consideration.
However, security will be reinforced to help participants cope with the moment.
Drones, K-9 units, bike patrols and fences and barriers will be placed along the approximately mile-long parade route.
No large bags or coolers will be allowed on site, and spectators will be asked to pass through metal detectors.
On Friday, city officials said there had been no specific or credible threats before the event and that protesters have the right to demonstrate as long as it is peaceful.
Mayor Eric Adams, who has condemned the disruptive and sometimes illegal behavior of anti-Israel protesters in the city, said: “We are not going to allow any illegality or disruption of any celebration of anyone’s heritage in this city.”
Although there have been thousands of protests related to the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas in New York since Oct. 7, Sunday’s parade will be the first large-scale Jewish event since the outbreak of the war, according to Adams.
New York City law enforcement officials expect protests at Sunday’s Israel parade, which Mayor Eric Adams has made clear are perfectly acceptable as long as they are peaceful.
There have been thousands of protests in New York City related to the war between Israel and Hamas since October.
Due to the grim circumstances of the hostages and war, there will be no music, bands or celebratory singing in this year’s parade.
The chorus of the parade will be ‘Bring them home’, the motto that has been affiliated with the mission to return each of the hostages.
The event is scheduled to conclude around 4 pm on Sunday after running the full route. New York City officials expect disruptions similar to those seen at the 2023 Thanksgiving Day Parade.
At the iconic Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade late last year, protesters unveiled signs reading “Free Palestine” as they rode on floats and participated in the march.