Huge British Pro-Israel Carnival
The UK’s first-ever “Salute to Israel” parade swept through the streets of central London and Manchester on Sunday.
In London, more than 50 carnival floats, accompanied by bands, dancers and cyclists, were joined by over 10,000 revellers, who lined the street along Piccadilly to Piccadilly Circus. The parade ended with a rally in Trafalgar Square where, organizers said, over 30,000 people converged.
The Manchester parade ended with a huge celebration in the city’s Heaton Park.
Organized and supported by a wide range of Anglo-Jewish organizations under the direction of the Board of Deputies and Jewish Leadership Council, the parade - intended to show solidarity with and support for Israel - was part of the UK’s celebrations of Israel’s 60th anniversary.
“It is our way of expressing our love for Israel, our thanksgiving for the past and our hopes for the future,” said British Chief Rabbi Sir Jonathan Sacks.
Secretary of State for Schools and Families Ed Balls paid tribute to Israel, saying that while the UK has lived with the threat of terrorism for the last few years, people in the UK did not understand what Israeli citizens had to confront on a daily basis. Balls also spoke about the people of Sderot, saying, “We admire their courage and determination to live their lives, to finish their schooling and fulfil their dreams,” he said, to huge applause.