ISRAEL AT 60
Parade and Concert Highlight Birthday Bash
BY: FERN SIDMAN
New York City's fashionable Fifth Avenue was transformed in to a sea of
blue and white as crystal clear blue skies, a searing sun, Israeli music
and thousands of marchers and spectators were the order of the day on Sunday,
June 1st at the 44th annual Salute to Israel parade. As Israel celebrated the
60th anniversary since its creation as a modern state, Jews and
non-Jews spanning the globe made sure this party was held in grand style. As
thousands of marchers representing a vast array of Yeshivos, Jewish Day Schools,
synagogues, temples, service organizations, community centers, Jewish businesses
and Israeli government agencies gathered on side streets awaiting their turn to
join the parade, tens of thousands of spectators, holding Israeli flags lined
both sides of Fifth Avenue all the way up to 86th Street to pay homage to the
Jewish State.
"Today we asked G-d not to rain on our parade, and thankfully we had the
most optimal conditions," said Mark Moskowitz of Belle Harbor, NY, a spectator
who brought his entire family.
To highlight the theme of this year's parade, "The Story of Sixty
Years", the parade opened with sixty shofar blowers and closed with sixty
motorcycle riders bearing flags of Israel.
Among the groups marching were such schools as the Magen David Yeshiva of
Brooklyn, Ramaz Day School of Manhattan, Shulamith High School for Girls from
Brooklyn, HAFTR (Hebrew Academy of the Five Towns and Rockaway), Jewish
Foundation School of Staten Island, Yeshiva University and Stern College of
Manhattan, Yeshiva of Crown Heights, Yeshiva Chovavei Torah Rabbinical School of
the Bronx, among hundreds of others. Wearing T-shirts bearing their school names
and logos, the marchers, for the most part, were bedecked in the colors of the
Israeli flag and both Israeli and American flags were proudly hoisted under the
glaring sun.
The parade also included appearances by politicians such as Brooklyn
Congressman Anthony Weiner who represents one of the largest Jewish
constituencies in the country, US Senator from New York Charles Schumer and New
York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
No parade would be complete without floats and entertainers and this parade
was no exception. Festively decorated blue and white floats representing such
internationally renowned Israeli companies such as El Al Airlines, Bank Leumi,
Bank HaPoalim and the Israeli Defense Ministry played popular Hebrew tunes and
Israeli songs through their sound systems as their personnel waved to well
wishers. Over twenty marching bands selected from various high schools and
colleges around the country also participated, offering their own unique musical
style. Russian Ballet, Bukharin and Georgian dancers in costumes along
with Israeli folk dancers and ballroom dancers added their distinct style and
dimension while other entertainers such as strolling violinists and Klezmer
bands drew their own following. The youngsters enjoyed a bevy of street
performers, clowns, jugglers, and face painters.
Current events and the political climate in the Middle East were showcased
as well, as both anti-Israel and pro-Israel demonstrators gathered at 59th
Street and 5th Avenue to give voice to their perspectives on the immutable
Israeli-Palestinian conflict. About 60 demonstrators representing such
organizations as "Free Palestine", the Revolutionary Communist Party and the
anti-Zionist Chareidi movement Neturei Karta, held signs calling for an "End to
Israeli Occupation of Palestine" and took aim at the IDF by lambasting them with
such signs as "Israeli Army = War Criminals". Other radical Muslim extremists
held signs saying "May Allah Give Victory to the Islamic Resistance in
Palestine". Some signs smacked of overt anti-Semitism, such as "The Holocaust
was a Hoax" and "Death to All Juice". Waving Palestinian flags both large and
small the anti-Israel protestors excoriated Israel as "thieves" and demanded its
dismantlement.
The members of Neturei Karta joined their Palestinian counterparts with
their own signs saying "The Torah demands all Palestine to be returned to
Palestinian Sovereignty" and "We Mourn 60 Years of the Existence of Israel".
They, too waved Palestinian flags and confronted marchers in the parade.
Across the street, a cadre of pro-Israel counter-protestors vocally
responded to the diatribes being leveled against them by the anti-Israel
demonstrators by calling the members of Neturei Karta. "traitorous dogs" and
severely castigated the Palestinians as "purveyors of agitprop and mendacity"
and "ruthless, bloodthirsty terrorists". They held signs saying "Hamas - Stop
Racist Terrorism" and "Israel is for Peace - Hamas and Hezbollah want Jewish
blood". This was a direct reference to the daily rocket attacks on the southern
Israeli city of Sderot, launched by Hamas in Gaza.
Leading the pro-Israel contingent were several young men representing
the Jabotinsky based Zionist youth movement, Betar. Wearing their Betar
(tilboshet) uniforms and carrying a blue Betar flag they called for an end to
Arab terror in Israel. Betar mefaked Yonaton Ben Yair displayed tremendous
courage by carrying a sign that said, "Arabs Out of Israel". He said, "The State
of Israel can no longer abide the burgeoning hostilities of the malignant Arab
population. In order for Israel to remain a Jewish state, the Arabs must be
transferred to any of their 22 countries in a population exchange."
Later in the day, both marchers and spectators converged on Central Park to
enjoy the 15th annual, Dr. Mandred R. Lehmann Memorial Israel Day Concert. The
free concert at Central Park's summer stage was dedicated in the memory of the
eight young yeshiva boys murdered by a Palestinian terrorist at Yeshivat Mercaz
HaRav in Jerusalem on March 6th of this year. Sponsored by a broad spectrum of
organizations and businesses such as The Hebron Fund, the Zionist Organization
of America, Americans for a Safe Israel, Winick Realty Group, Meridian Capital
Group and Arutz Sheva, the concert featured the best in Jewish and Israeli
entertainment. Groups and solo entertainers such as The Piamenta Band, Simply
Tsfat, band leader Jerry Markowitz, Shloimy Bluth, Yaakov Chesed, HaMakor,
Shlomo Haviv, Yechiel Lichtiger, Shlomi Aharoni and singing sensation Chaim Kiss
regaled the overflowing audience with songs praising Hashem and the Land of
Israel.
Special appearances were made by politicians such as Brooklyn Assembylman
Dov Hikind, Brooklyn Congressman Anthony Weiner, New York State Assembly Speaker
Sheldon Silver, New York State Comptroller Thomas P. Dinapoli and New York City
Councilman David Weprin. Also addressing the audience were MK Dr. Arieh Eldad,
founder of the Hatikvah party, Rabbi David Fendel, from the Yeshivat Hesder in
Sderot, Morton Klein, president of the Zionist Organization of America and
Daniel Luria of the Jerusalem Reclamation Project.
The event was recorded and televised by the Israeli news service, Arutz
Sheva and local Jewish media personalities such as Zev Brenner from Talkline
Communications Network were also interviewing participants for a televised
broadcast.
Trackposted to
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Gary C Fouse : Thanks for sharing that. I hope your letter is taken seriously and some action is taken. But I won't hold my breath. I also hope you do not end up the target of these terrorists.
Posted by: Debbie | June 03, 2008 at 03:06 PM
Meanwhile at UC-Irvine:
My letter to UCI-EEO
Friday afternoon, I received correspondence from the UC-Irvine EEO Office Director, Kirsten Quanbeck. She advised me that her office had been informed that I had a concern about discrimination at UCI. (I since learned from Ms Quanbeck that the source was Rusty Kennedy, Director of the Orange County Human Relations Commission.) Enclosed was a packet of forms that I could use to file a formal discrimination complaint.
This morning, I spoke telephonically with Ms Quanbeck. I advised her of my concerns about the on-going issues involving the Muslim Student Union and their hate-monger speakers. I also told her that since I am not Jewish, I didn't feel I had standing to make a formal discrimination complaint. We did agree, however, that I would set forth my views in a letter.
That letter was sent to Ms Quanbeck today. Here it is:
Kirsten Quanbeck
Asst Executive Vice Chancellor and Director
Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity
University of California at Irvine
From:
Gary C Fouse
Adjunct teacher
UCI-Ext (ESL)
Subject:
Anti-Semitism at UCI/Muslim Student Union
Dear Ms Quanbeck,
In response to your letter dated May 27, 2008, I am sending you the below letter. I have been teaching part-time at UCI (Ext) since 1998. For the past few years, I have observed the on-going activities of the Muslim Student Union (MSU) and their sponsored events. I have listened to many of their speakers who they have brought to campus. Aside from the fact that many of these speakers are anti-Israel and anti-US, in my opinion, they are also anti-Semitic. I would like to give you a few examples:
Amir Abdel Malik Ali is an Oakland-based imam who comes to talk at UCI virtually every quarter on behalf of the MSU. Aside from the fact that he is a supporter of two known terrorist organizations (Hezbollah and Hamas), Ali also has spoken out at UCI in favor of suicide bombings that have killed so many innocent Israeli men, women and children on buses and in pizza parlors. He has referred to bombers as martyrs and heroes. I have personally watched videotapes of these statements made by Ali at UCI. Ali generally masks his references to Jews by referring to them as "Zionist Jews", but his tone is almost always contemptuous.
Mohammed Al-Asi is a former imam from Washington DC who has made more than one appearance at UCI, most recently, this past month. Al-Asi is also an open supporter of Hamas and Hezbollah, and, in past appearances at UCI, has referred to Jews as "low-life ghetto-dwellers". He has also stated (at UCI) that "you can take a Jew out of the ghetto, but you can't take the ghetto out of a Jew". (I have not personally heard him make those comments. Others have.)
During his last appearance in May, while he was spouting his usual venom, I observed a group of about 20 school kids (middle school or high school-I am not sure) standing yards away from the speaker near their bus. They were obviously on some sort of UCI tour. While UCI officials were moving Jewish protesters from one spot to another and keeping walkways clear for students, no one seemed to care that these kids were being exposed to the hate speech of Mr Al-Asi. I still wonder if there were any Jewish kids having to listen to this man's words.
During the past MSU event, a mock wall was erected portraying the wall Israel has erected to keep out suicide bombers. Among other displays on that wall was a caricature of Ariel Sharon drawn in the old Nazi style of Julius Streicher's Der Stuermer, a notorious anti-Semitic publication of the Third Reich. Like Der Stuermer, Sharon's caricature was done with all the stereotyped images of Jews, oversized nose, lips and leering expression. This picture remained on that wall all week long. I am attaching a copy of this picture along with a sample of a drawing from Der Stuermer.
In addition, the Red County Blog has reported that on the Thursday evening of the MSU week, following a speech by Ali, a Jewish female who was filming the event was followed to a parking lot by about a half dozen MSU males who accosted her at her car. This incident was reportedly witnessed by a woman from off-campus who was attending the event. According to the witnesses' account, which I have read, she was also harassed by the males, and when she complained to the Campus Police who responded, she was met with complete indifference. (I add that I have no personal knowledge of this incident, but I would encourage your office to make the appropriate inquiries with Campus Police.)
My position is very clear. I believe that the MSU is an organization that engages in anti-Jewish words and deeds though they will deny that. If they oppose the state of Israel, that is their business. If they bring in speakers who also condemn the US, that is their right of free speech (though I will draw the obvious conclusions). When they bring in speakers who denigrate Jews and advocate violence (albeit it in Israel), I think the university has to rethink its position on free speech vs hate speech that incites. As you know, UCI has acquired a national reputation as a bastion of radical MSU activity and anti-Semitic speech. While I would be the first to state that 99% of our students have nothing to do with this ugliness, I can only be critical of an administration that, in my view, has abrogated its responsibility to provide a safe atmosphere on campus for its Jewish students by not standing up to the MSU. Issues of hate speech should not be limited to politically correct ideas of which group deserves protection. All groups deserve protection.
It is my request that your office check into the issues and incidents I have raised. As I stated earlier to you, I am not Jewish, and therefore, I don't feel I have standing to make a complaint of discrimination involving myself. However, I do feel the need to speak out on this issue.
Thank you for your attention.
Gary Fouse
UCI-Ext
Posted by: gary fouse | June 03, 2008 at 03:00 PM
Michael: Sorry your comment went to spam for some reason. It is published now. Thanks for sharing those wonderful pictures.
Posted by: Debbie | June 03, 2008 at 02:59 PM
Hey! I left a message with links to more pictures of the event.........but it wasn't published.
Posted by: Michael | June 03, 2008 at 02:29 PM
More than fabulous: it was EPIC! Israel gained all the best support possible, from the REAL Christians. In the other hand, the enemy within also get off the shadows. Good. The clearer the politics at the streets, the better.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GOLDEN COUNTRY! May the David Star shine even brighter for the next 60 years. and Solomon wisdom guide you, Israel. Its the eternal battle between the Good and the Evil ideologies. SHALOM!
Posted by: Ernesto Ribeiro | June 03, 2008 at 01:39 PM
"it was fabulous!!! :)"
Yes it was!
Posted by: Michael | June 02, 2008 at 09:08 PM
it was fabulous!!! :)
Posted by: Angel | June 02, 2008 at 08:51 PM