Six former hostages were amongst the tens of thousands of people marching through Manhattan on Sunday in the largest pro-Israel rally held outside the country.
Eliya Cohen, Ilana Gritzewsky, Doron Steinbrecher, Keith and Aviva Siegel, and Andrey Kozlov – joined the 50,000 strong crowd for ‘Israel Day on Fifth’, carrying photographs of 58 hostages still held in Gaza.
The theme was ‘Hatikvah’ or ‘hope’, with a huge tree covered in yellow in the centre of the parade, the colour representing the hostages.
Amid a surge in antisemitic incidents and ongoing anti-Israel protests across the city, security at the 60-year old event was extremely tight, with emergency units, helicopters, drones, canine teams, counterterror officers and thousands of uniformed personnel.
Marching at Israel Day on Fifth, May 18th 2025, New York City. Pic: Twitter/X
Freed in February after nearly 500 days in captivity, Eliya Cohen said: “For me, it’s a way to tell the world what’s happening underground in Gaza. It’s unimaginable. And the world chooses not to see. Today, we made sure they did.”
New York Mayor Eric Adams, who joined the march, said the city would not be intimidated. “There were those who called for this event to be cancelled—but we will never surrender to fear. We will protect every participant and respond forcefully to any disruption.”
Marching alongside Adams, Israeli and American government officials, Knesset members, and leaders from across the Jewish and interfaith communities, was KKL-JNF Chairwoman Ifat Ovadia-Luski.
KKL-JNF Chairwoman Ifat Ovadia-Luski together with Senior officals leading the Israeli delegation. Photo Credit – Courtesy of KKL-JNF
The philanthropic organisation, contributing £75k in support of the parade, marched alongside Jewish National Fund-USA, highlighting a shared commitment to rehabilitating communities in the Gaza Envelope.
Marching at Israel Day on Fifth, May 18th 2025, New York City. Pic: Twitter/X
Ovadia-Luski said: “At a time when antisemitism is on the rise, we must stand united and determined.”
The event’s name was changed from “Celebrate Israel Parade” to “Israel Day on Fifth in 2023, in a show of solidarity with Israel during times of war.
- To watch a video of the event, click here.
