Thousands celebrate Israel's 70th anniversary in New York
A celebration organized by the Ministry of Culture and New York's Israeli Consulate took over Times Square to celebrate Israel; 'It was moving to see the thousands of Israelis, tourists and locals dancing and singing together to the sounds of Israeli music,' says Minister Regev.
The celebration commenced on Fifth Avenue and culminated in the Big Apple's Times Square.
Participants danced for two hours at the renowned square with contemporary Israeli hits playing in the background. At least an hour-long Israeli PR video clip depicting Israel's achievements was shown on the huge screens in central Manhattan.
New York's Governor Andrew Cuomo, who led the celebration said, "It's very important to stand by Israel at times like these and show our support of it."
Hanna Levin, 24, who resides in New York's Crown Heights, said, "I'm here to show that the Jews (of the Diaspora) and the State of Israel are unified. We're marking Israel's 70th Independence, it’s a big celebration."
But not everyone joined the party. A group of people waving Palestinian flags and members of the Neturei Karta sect (ultra-Orthodox Jews who oppose secular Zionism and call for the dismantling of the State of Israel) holding signs saying "Israel doesn't represent me" tried to put a damper on the celebrations.
Times Square's "Celebrating Israel" street party was created as a joint project of Israel's Ministry of Culture and Sports and the Israeli Consulate in New York.
At exactly 8pm, all of the massive screens in Times Square changed from their usual advertisements to video clips depicting Israel's high-tech and agriculture industries, as well as Jerusalem's holy sites and Tel Aviv's nightlife.
The video clips also featured politicians, including Democratic minority leader Chuck Schumer and New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, as well as celebrities such as Jewish actress Mayim Bialik, who congratulated Israel on its 70th year.
Despite the warm greetings, no American high-rank officials attended the street party, with the exception of Jerrold Nadler, a Democrat representative of New York in Congress.
New York police officers assisted in creating an enclave at the center of the square in order to allow the senior officilals arriving from Israel to attend the celebrations, with many streets closed to traffic.
Dozens of armed police officers and American and Israeli security forces were deployed to secure the many guests who were at attendance, including Culture Minister Miri Regev, Science Minister Ofir Akunis, Immigration and Absorption Minister Sofa Landver and MKs Yehuda Glick, Yoel Hasson, Elazar Stern, Oded Forer, Shuli Mualem and Nurit Koren.
Israeli singer Shiri Maimon was the event's lead performer alongside DJ Omri Angel— who played Eurovision's winner Netta Barzilai's greatest hits—and other Israeli performers, including Omer Adam, Eden Ben Zaken, and Static and Ben-El Tavori.
"We colored Times Square blue and white," Minister Regev said on stage. "It was moving to see the thousands of Israelis, tourists and locals dancing and singing together to the sounds of Israeli music."
"I want to thank the American people and leadership for their undivided support of the State of Israel. Today we've proven once again our indelible, strong and brave bond with the United States," she went on to say.
"I would like to thank to our Consul General Dani Dayan, the New York Police Department, New York's governor and the mayor for making this celebration a success," Regev added.
It is estimated that some NIS 5.5 million were invested in the celebrations
Many of those participated in the event asked Regev to take a picture with them, and she obliged most of them. Regev could be seen dancing with the crowd and on the stage.
Local media did not show much interest in the event after the initial press conference about it had been canceled on the last minute. The hectic city's passersby did not pay much attention to the celebratory event either.
