New York City will host the 16th Annual Israel Day Parade and concert on Sunday, May 31st. Tens of thousands are expected to turn out to show their support for the Jewish State.
Concert organizer and prominent pro-Israel activist Dr. Joseph Frager spoke with Israel National Radio's Yishai and Malkah Fleisher about this year's parade and concert, as well as the Jerusalem Reclamation Project dinner the week before.
"The stakes are higher than ever,” Dr. Frager warned, encouraging Jews to come out and express support for Israel in both America and Israel itself. "With Iranian leaders openly threatening Israel while U.S. President Barack Obama tries a diplomatic approach, it is crucial for the U.S. government to see that American citizens stand with Israel", he explained.
"With the president really leaning strongly towards the Arab lobby, it's beyond a necessity for American Jews to express themselves openly,” he stated.
Frager expressed hope that the strong show of support in America would encourage Israelis to hold more political rallies. “Maybe we'll give chizuk [strength] to our brethren, namely to you, to do the same in Israel. Bring out the hundreds of thousands,” he said.
While the parade itself is an apolitical show of support, the concert organized by Frager sends a direct message on certain key issues. Posters advertising the concert bear the slogans, “Jerusalem United Forever – Never to be Divided Again,” and “No! To a PA/Hamas Terrorist State!”
One poster bears the pictures of missing Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, who was kidnapped by Hamas-backed terrorists in 2006, and of Jonathan Pollard, an American Jew serving a life sentence in prison for sharing classified security information with Israel.
The concert has traditionally been open about supporting Pollard's release from prison, Frager noted.
Jerusalem Reclamation Project
Another pro-Israel event is scheduled for Tuesday night of this week in New York City, Frager said. The Jerusalem Reclamation Project dinner will take place on May 19, and will raise awareness – and hopefully funding – for projects that restore Jewish life to historic Jerusalem. Conservative commentator Glenn Beck will be the dinner's keynote speaker.
The Jerusalem Reclamation Project aims to purchase Arab-owned properties in Jerusalem, primarily in historically Jewish areas of the city such as the Old City and the Mei Shiloach (Silwan) neighborhoods, from which Jews were expelled during or shortly prior to the Jordanian occupation of 1948 to 1967.
The properties are then purchased by Jewish families, who take up residence in the often dangerous primarily-Arab areas, slowly restoring Jewish life to the neighborhoods and restoring unity to the city as a whole.