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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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Pete Hegseth Pledges Retribution After Islamist Gunmen in Syria Kills 2 US Soldiers and Civilian, Injuring 3
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth attends a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing on US President Donald Trump’s budget request for the Department of Defense, on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, US, June 11, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz
i24 News – Two US Army soldiers and a civilian interpreter were killed in an Islamic State attack on Saturday in Palmyra, Syria, where they were supporting counterterrorism operations, the Pentagon said.
Three others were wounded, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the attacker was killed by partner forces.
The Syrian Interior Ministry said that shooter in the deadly attack in Palmyra was a “member of the Syrian security forces who was influence by extremist ideology.”
President Donald Trump posted that “We mourn the loss of three Great American Patriots in Syria, two soldiers, and one Civilian Interpreter. Likewise, we pray for the three injured soldiers who, it has just been confirmed, are doing well.”
“This was an ISIS attack against the US, and Syria, in a very dangerous part of Syria, that is not fully controlled by them. The President of Syria, Ahmed al-Sharaa, is extremely angry and disturbed by this attack. There will be very serious retaliation. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
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Israel Says It Kills Senior Hamas Commander Raed Saed in Gaza
Palestinians inspect the site of an Israeli strike on a car in Gaza City, December 13, 2025.REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas
The Israeli military said it killed senior Hamas commander Raed Saed, one of the architects of the October 7, 2023 attacks on Israel, in a strike on a car in Gaza City on Saturday.
It was the highest-profile assassination of a senior Hamas figure since a Gaza ceasefire deal came into effect in October.
In a joint statement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz said Saed was targeted in response to an attack by Hamas in which an explosive device injured two soldiers earlier on Saturday.
The attack on the car in Gaza City killed five people and wounded at least 25 others, according to Gaza health authorities. There was no immediate confirmation from Hamas or medics that Saed was among the dead.
HAMAS SAYS ATTACK VIOLATES CEASEFIRE AGREEMENT
An Israeli military official described Saed as a high-ranked Hamas member who helped establish and advance the group’s weapons production network.
“In recent months, he operated to reestablish Hamas’ capabilities and weapons manufacturing, a blatant violation of the ceasefire,” the official said.
Hamas sources have also described him as the second-in-command of the group’s armed wing, after Izz eldeen Al-Hadad.
Saed used to head Hamas’ Gaza City battalion, one of the group’s largest and best-equipped, those sources said.
Hamas, in a statement, condemned the attack as a violation of the ceasefire agreement but did not say whether Saed was hurt and stopped short of threatening retaliation.
The October 10 ceasefire has enabled hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to return to Gaza City’s ruins. Israel has pulled troops back from city positions, and aid flows have increased.
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Hezbollah Chief: Disarmament Would Be ‘Death Sentence’ for Lebanon
Lebanon’s Hezbollah Chief Naim Qassem gives a televised speech from an unknown location, July 30, 2025, in this screen grab from video. Photo: Al Manar TV/REUTERS TV/via REUTERS
i24 News – Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem said on Saturday that it was not the responsibility of the Shiite terror group “to prevent aggression,” but rather the Lebanese state’s, and it is the responsibility of Hezbollah to engage “when the state and army fail to do so.”
In a recorded televised statement, Qassem sarcastically posed the question whether it was not Hezbollah that should be demanding the Lebanese Army’s disarmament if the latter fails to stop “Israel’s ongoing aggression.”
On the issue of disarming Hezbollah, Qassem said that disarming it in the manner currently proposed is a death sentence for Lebanon.
“Even if the sky falls, we will not be disarmed, not even if the entire world unites against Lebanon. We will not allow this and it will not happen,” Qassem said.