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Marchers and demonstrators wave Israel’s flag at New York’s Celebrate Israel parade
(New York Jewish Week) — Tens of thousands of marchers participated in Sunday’s Celebrate Israel parade, with school groups, synagogues and nonprofits waving Israeli flags honoring the country’s 75th birthday — and demonstrators urging the Netanyahu government to reject a judicial overhaul plan they consider anti-democratic.
Members of the group UnXeptable, made up largely of Israeli expats who oppose the judicial reform plans, joined a delegation from Ameinu, the former Labor Zionist Alliance, during the largely upbeat march along Fifth Avenue. At least five members of Israel’s governing coalition — including Member of Knesset Simcha Rothman, an architect of the judicial overhaul — took part in the parade.
Keep scrolling for some highlights of the day.
Humans of Judaism paid tribute to parade founder Ted Comet, 99, who began the New York City parade to celebrate Israel in 1965. (@HumansOfJudaism)
Ted Comet was born in Cleveland, Ohio on May 24, 1924. He moved to New York City in 1946 and in 1965 he founded the first parade to celebrate Israel. The parade has since grown to be one of the worlds largest gatherings in support of Israel. Today in New York, at 99 years old,… pic.twitter.com/nzk4MBbmJ7
— Humans of Judaism (@HumansOfJudaism) June 4, 2023
Mayor Eric Adams @NYCMayor gave some remarks — and posted these great shots of spectators along Fifth Ave. (@NYCMayor)
I’m so proud to be mayor of the city with the largest Jewish population anywhere outside of Israel — and even prouder to march side by side our Jewish community in today’s #CelebrateIsrael parade. pic.twitter.com/QVp4AKBTKW
— Mayor Eric Adams (@NYCMayor) June 4, 2023
Nefesh B’Nefesh, the organization that helps Jews move to Israel, brought a lot of energy and enthusiasm. (Philissa Cramer)
A delegation from the Hebrew Public charter school network — whose Harlem outpost is set to close at the end of the school year — joined the throng marching up Fifth Ave. (Philissa Cramer)
As most years, a large contingent of marchers represented various Jewish day schools and yeshivas from the area. (@AdamMilstein)
Thousands of supporters of Israel marching NOW in the annual @CelebrateIsrael parade in New York!
— Adam Milstein (@AdamMilstein) June 4, 2023
Unlike most years, however, this year many demonstrators turned out to speak out against the Netanyahu government’s proposed judicial overhaul. Here, Times of Israel reporter Luke Tress captures people heckling Rothman, who grabbed a megaphone from a protestor in Midtown on Friday. (@luketress)
MK Rothman is heckled by protesters at the Israel Parade in New York pic.twitter.com/fBslWoJLWG
— Luke Tress (@luketress) June 4, 2023
With some 1,000 participants, Ameinu was one of the biggest blocs of the parade. This was the first time in a dozen years that the group marched in the parade, and they came with a strong message for Israel’s right-wing government. They were joined by Rep. Jerry Nadler, the Upper West Side Democrat.
We’re on our way! Thank you @RepJerryNadler for standing with Israeli democracy pic.twitter.com/TwCwahzWF4
— Ameinu (@AmeinuUSA) June 4, 2023
The group unfurled a large poster while marching up Fifth Ave. (@drill_josh)
Activists unfurl NYC Israel Democracy during the Israel day parade pic.twitter.com/kAz3tCNMpF
— Josh Drill (@drill_josh) June 4, 2023
The Forward’s senior political reporter captured this viral photo of Israel’s Diaspora Minister, Amichai Chikli, seemingly flipping the bird to pro-democracy demonstrators. In response to backlash online, Chikli said he was simply telling the protestors to smile. (@jacobkornbluh)
.@AmichaiChikli to the pro-democracy protesters across the barriers pic.twitter.com/g69jsXOf58
— Jacob N. Kornbluh (@jacobkornbluh) June 4, 2023
The legendary Dr. Ruth Westheimer celebrated her 95th birthday at the parade. (@CelebrateIsrael)
@AskDrRuth celebrates her 95th birthday and Israel’s 75th!! pic.twitter.com/aYrPTWMRm1
— JCRC-NY Celebrate Israel Parade (@CelebrateIsrael) June 4, 2023
The parade’s organizers, the Jewish Community Relations Council-NY, livestreamed the event — you can watch the whole thing here:
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The post Marchers and demonstrators wave Israel’s flag at New York’s Celebrate Israel parade appeared first on Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
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UK Police Charge Two Men in Connection with Filming Antisemitic TikTok Videos
The TikTok logo is pictured outside the company’s US head office in Culver City, California, US, Sep. 15, 2020. Photo: REUTERS
British police have charged two men with religiously aggravated harassment offenses after they were alleged to have traveled to a Jewish area of north London to film antisemitic social media videos.
The two men, Adam Bedoui, 20, and Abdelkader Amir Bousloub, 21, are due to appear at Thames Magistrates’ Court, a statement from the Crown Prosecution Service said on Saturday.
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US Imposes Sanctions on Companies It Accuses of Aiding Iran’s Weapons Sector
A bronze seal for the Department of the Treasury is shown at the US Treasury building in Washington, US, Jan. 20, 2023. Photo: REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque
The US Treasury on Friday announced sanctions against 10 individuals and companies, including several in China and Hong Kong, over accusations they aided Iran’s efforts to secure weapons and the raw materials needed to build its Shahed drones and ballistic missiles.
The Treasury move, first reported by Reuters, comes days before US President Donald Trump plans to travel to China for a meeting with President Xi Jinping and as efforts to end the war with Iran have stalled.
In a statement, Treasury said it remained ready to take economic action against Iran’s military industrial base to prevent Tehran from reconstituting its production capacity.
Treasury said it was also prepared to act against any foreign company supporting illicit Iranian commerce, including airlines, and could impose secondary sanctions on foreign financial institutions that aid Iran’s efforts, including those connected to China’s independent “teapot” oil refineries.
Brett Erickson, managing principal at Obsidian Risk Advisors, said Treasury’s actions were aimed at cracking down on Iran’s ability to threaten ships operating in the Strait of Hormuz and regional allies.
Iran shut the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow chokepoint between Iran and Oman through which a fifth of the world’s crude oil and liquefied natural gas passes, after the US and Israel attacked a large number of targets in Iran on February 28. Shipping through the crucial waterway has ground to a near halt since the war began, sending energy prices sharply higher.
Iran is a major drone manufacturer and has the industrial capacity to produce around 10,000 a month, according to the British government-fund Center for Information Resilience.
Erickson said the sanctions were still narrowly focused, giving Iran more time to adapt and reroute procurement to other suppliers. Treasury was also not yet going after Chinese banks that were keeping Iran’s economy going, he added.
The companies facing sanctions include:
• China-based Yushita Shanghai International Trade Co Ltd for facilitating acquisition efforts for Iran to purchase weapons from China.
• Dubai-based Elite Energy FZCO for transferring millions of dollars to a Hong Kong company to aid the procurement effort.
• Hong Kong-based HK Hesin Industry Co Ltd and Belarus-based Armory Alliance LLC for working as intermediaries in the procurements.
• Hong Kong-based Mustad Ltd for facilitating weapon procurement by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
• Iran-based Pishgam Electronic Safeh Co for procuring motors used in drones.
• China-based Hitex Insulation Ningbo Co Ltd for supplying materials used in ballistic missiles.
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Gaza Flotilla Activists to Be Released From Israel Detention and Deported
Brazilian Activist Thiago Avila, who was detained aboard the Gaza-bound Global Sumud Flotilla, which was intercepted by Israeli forces in international waters, appears at a court in Beersheba, southern Israel May 6, 2026. Photo: REUTERS/Amir Cohen/File Photo
Two activists arrested last month when Israeli forces intercepted the Gaza-bound flotilla they were traveling on are expected to be deported in the coming days after being released from security detention on Saturday, their lawyers said.
Saif Abu Keshek, a Spanish national, and Brazilian Thiago Avila were detained by Israeli authorities on April 29 and brought to Israel.
The activists were part of a second Global Sumud Flotilla launched from Spain on April 12 to try to break Israel’s blockade of Gaza by delivering aid to the enclave.
Israel’s foreign ministry said Abu Keshek was suspected of affiliation with a terrorist organization and Avila was suspected of illegal activity. Both denied the allegations.
BRAZIL AND SPAIN SAID THE DETENTION WAS UNLAWFUL
The governments of Spain and Brazil said Abu Keshek’s and Avila’s detention was unlawful, but Israel’s Ashkelon Magistrate’s Court remanded them in custody until May 10.
Human rights group Adalah, which has assisted in their legal defense and also said the detention was unlawful, said that Abu Keshek and Avila were informed that they will be released from detention on Saturday and handed over to immigration authorities’ custody until their deportation.
“Adalah is closely monitoring developments to make sure that the release from detention goes ahead, followed by their deportation from Israel in the coming days,” the group said. Israeli officials were not immediately reachable for comment.
Israeli authorities held them under suspicion of offenses that included aiding the enemy and contact with a terrorist group.
Gaza is largely run by Palestinian terrorist group Hamas.