Some 20,000 people have attended Britain's first ever 'Salute to Israel' parade in the capital London. According to the organizers - a coalition of local Jewish community bodies - Sunday's event were inspired by New York's annual 'Salute to Israel' parade and were designed to express solidarity and support of the State of Israel on its 60th anniversary, as well as to show unity within the British Jewish community, transcending religious and political affiliations.
The program opened with a parade from London's Ritz Hotel to Trafalgar Square, led by a group of war veterans and followed by several thousand marchers waving Israeli and British flags, dozens of carnival floats, cyclists, dancers and bands. At a Trafalgar Square rally following the march, Israel's minister for Diaspora affairs Isaac Herzog, British education minister Ed Balls, chief rabbi Sir Jonathan Sacks and other community leaders addressed the flag-waving crowds that filled the square. The audience welcomed enthusiastically the many Israeli artists who performed between the speeches. At least two pro-Palestinian demonstrations were held nearby but were generally peaceful.
