Empire State Building in NYC
Empire State Building in NYCReuters

The Empire State Building in New York City will be lit up in blue and white in honor of the Israeli flag to mark the June 3 Israel Day Parade, as hundreds of thousands celebrate and take pride in the 64th anniversary of the modern State of Israel.

More than 200 groups from New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Israel will march down Fifth Avenue in the momentous event, organized by the Community Relations Council of New York, in conjunction with the City of New York, the Israeli Consulate in New York and Israel’s Ministry of Public Diplomacy and Diaspora Affairs.

Hundreds of thousands of spectators are expected to follow the event and cheer on the approximated 35,000 participants and 29 floats. 

The event will be attended by an Israeli delegation including Minister of Public Diplomacy and Diaspora Affairs Yuli Edelstein and Deputy Prime Minister Silvan Shalom.

“We are proud to be the major supporter of what is the largest annual pro-Israel event outside the Jewish State itself,” said John S. Ruskay, Executive Vice President of the United Jewish Appeal Federation of New York.

The parade will be televised live in the New York metropolitan area for the second consecutive year.