Thousands salute Israel at N.Y. parade

[Scurrilous]

<snip>

"Thousands marched in New York City’s annual Salute to Israel Parade.

Among those making the trek up Fifth Avenue marking the Jewish state’s 60th birthday were New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, New York Gov. David Paterson and New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine. The actress Lainie Kazan waved from one of the floats.

They were joined by contingents from the area’s yeshivas and Jewish day schools wearing their school T-shirts. Parade revelers hoisted Israel's blue-and-white flag and sang Jewish songs.

Hundreds of spectators lined the parade route of more than a mile. Parade organizers said there were more than 100,000 marchers, The Associated Press reported."

http://www.jta.org/cgi-bin/iowa/breaking/108859.html


Palestinians Don't Salute Israel

<snip>

"Approximately 120 demonstrators lined Fifth Avenue on Sunday as the "Salute to Israel" parade held its 44th annual revelry. This year marks the 60th anniversary of what Zionists celebrate as the founding of Israel and Palestinians remember as the Nakba, Arabic for "catastrophe."

The protest, called by Adalah-NY: The Coalition for Justice in the Middle East, was attended by a varied crowd including Palestinians, human rights activists, members of Jews Against the Occupation, and the rabbis of Neturei Carta, an Aramaic term for "guardians of the city", who oppose Zionism on religious grounds.

Demonstrators chanted and waved Palestinian flags and signs calling for an end to racism and apartheid. Counter-demonstrators situated immediately across Fifth Avenue held Israeli flags and signs with various slogans, ranging from "We support you Israel" to "Rachel Corrie is in hell". Rachel Corrie was a 23 year old American woman who was run over and killed by an armored bulldozer operated by the Israel Defense Forces while she was trying to prevent a Palestinian home from being destroyed in 2003.

Passing parade participants remained peaceful except for occasional profanity and vulgar gestures. Some celebrants riding floats and tossing t-shirts to the crowd also hurled t-shirts at the crowd of protesters. These t-shirts were similarly thrown back into the parade route, but no further escalation ensued.

Following the parade, demonstrators continued their chanting as they marched along 59th Street to Columbus Circle. Although some parade supporters followed the group calling out derisive labels, no incidents occurred."

http://nyc.indymedia.org/en/2008/06/97617.shtml

[eilen]

1. I don't care who is marching

I don't salute any country but my own. When the Mexicans were marching for Mexico, the anti-illegal immigration groups protested that and were castigated. There is a difference between honoring your heritage at festivals and saluting your dedication and pledge of fealty to another nation.

So far as I am concerned, Israeli/Palestinian relations can be argued and resolved in their own playground. We have enough problems.

[LeftishBrit]

2. Do you feel the same about Irish-Americans marching on St Patricks Day?

Personally I'm not into saluting any country INCLUDING my own. I'm not into saluting, period. But this sort of celebration is hardly unique to supporters of Israel.

[eilen]

8. I was turned off by the terminology.

Like I said, celebrate your heritage? Go for it. When the St. Patricks Day parade is going on, are the participants saluting the government of Ireland and it's politics? Naaah. They are not even campaigning "Free Ireland" or "Ireland will prevail" or "Ireland over all". They are saying "Kiss me, I'm Irish and have a green beer and watch the pretty colleens dance" --and they are not saying it in Gaelic. At least that is what they are saying at the one in our town.

I think Israel is fine, I also think Palestinians are fine. I prefer to stay out of their arguments. Their respective "supporters" can perpetuate their disagreements in their own sandbox. Like I said, we have enough problems, I prefer our government butt out.

[Vegasaurus]

9. As long as we are as dependent as we are on foreign oil

you can bet that our government will not butt out of middle eastern affairs.

This is not about love of Israel. The US government doesn't particularly care about the liberal democracy of Israel, or Jews, any more than they care about Muslims.

This is about big corporate oil, and ensuring that Americans can drive their SUVs or heat their big houses.

[oberliner]

5. Pledge of fealty to another nation?

No one is pledging fealty to another nation by attending this parade.

[ProgressiveMuslim]

3. Rachel Corrie is in hell? Wow, that's classy! nt

[LeftishBrit]

4. THAT slogan is bloody disgusting, I agree.

Even if they regard her as an enemy, such remarks are beneath contempt.

[ProgressiveMuslim]

6. That an international human rights worker would be regarded as "enemy" is a whole other area of

concern...

[notfullofit]

7. I've seen and

heard comments even worse than that about Rachel.