Despite the crisis in Israeli -American relations and the growing rift with the American Jews, organizers of the annual Celebrate Israel parade in New York said they expected some 40,000 to march down 5th Avenue on June 4 blocks from where the UN marked Nakba day just a fortnight ago. Some 250 groups are said to take part in a festive day celebrating Israel with musical performances and some 30 floats.
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Among participants and Jewish dignitaries will be at least nine Israeli ministers - one-third of the government - who have already confirmed their intention to travel and others were expected to join, as well as a contingency of members of Knesset, raising criticism of the mass exodus to the Big Apple.
But the rebuke was not only in response to the apparent waste of such a large Israeli delegation. What the ministers and lawmakers represent was also a source of ire.
"As Israelis who live in New York and around the country, we are appalled that the Celebrate Israel Parade has invited a large delegation from the current extremist Israeli government, including key supporters of its anti-democratic assault on the Israeli judiciary, an open letter sent to the organizers read.
" We call upon the JCRC-NY and all marchers not to accept the participation of these far-right government ministers actively working to undermine Israel’s democracy. We urge Jewish organizations and New York State and City elected officials to refuse to march alongside those who threaten our democratic values," the letter read.
Although organizers said that they appreciate that many people in Israel and around the world would continue to "passionately protest with deeply held views concerning the future of Israel, We welcome participants with different viewpoints and opinions to show their love for Israel and participate in the parade. On this day the parade provides the broad spectrum of Jewish life and beyond a chance to celebrate the vibrancy of Israeli society, and its thriving national discourse, and is a unique opportunity to walk together, literally and figuratively, up Fifth Avenue and celebrate Israel’s 75th anniversary," the organizers said.
But in a petition sent to them, over 600 signatures were collected in less than 24 hours calling for a rejection of the "architects of the judicial revolution, and chief among them Simcha Rothman the architect of the judicial overhaul, who holds some of the most radical views in the coalition concerning restricting the judiciary’s independence, is single-handedly pushing through the legislation in the Knesset, and now threatens to break the coalition apart if the legislation is not passed," the protesters said.
"Though many of us have previously attended the Celebrate Israel Parade, we cannot march alongside extremist government officials while they are engaged in a plan to eviscerate the country’s democracy.
The theme of this year's Celebrate Israel Parade is "renewing the hope," but there is nothing hopeful in the dangerous path to authoritarianism that the Parade's guests are dragging Israel into.
We call upon the JCRC-NY and all those who care about the future of the State of Israel to stand in solidarity with the pro-democracy protesters in Israel, New York, and across the U.S. Oppose the participation of the extremist Israeli government’s delegation in this year’s Celebrate Israel Parade," they said in their petition.
Ben Weinberg formally from Tel Aviv, who now lives in New York and was among the organizers of the petition said the ministers of what he called the dangerous government must not be normalized.
"People have been protesting all over the United States for months and the administration has boycotted many of the members of the government and then they are invited to march in the parade. This is an insult to those who demonstrate for democracy," he said.
More letters protesting the participation of the ministers were expected including calls to boycott the event. Protests were also expected to take place outside private parties and gatherings where ministers were expected to attend.