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To: JCRC-NY and NY City and State Elected Officials
Dis-invite Anti Democratic Ministers from the 2023 Israel Parade
As North American Jews, we are appalled that the Celebrate Israel Parade has invited a large delegation from the current extremist Israeli government, including key supporters of its anti-democratic assault on the Israeli judiciary. We call upon the JCRC-NY and all marchers not to accept the participation of these far-right government ministers actively working to undermine Israel’s democracy. We urge Jewish organizations and New York State and City elected officials to refuse to march alongside those who threaten our democratic values, and reject the attempt to normalize these authoritarian forces.
The broad attack on Israeli democratic institutions by the newly-formed government has sparked the largest protest movement in the country’s history, with an unprecedented number of people taking to the streets, mass strikes, and acts of civil disobedience. It attracted widespread condemnations from world leaders, including President Biden and Congressional leaders, Jewish organizations, business groups, and international institutions. In New York and around the nation, Israeli and American Jews have held weekly demonstrations to oppose the judicial overhaul and raise awareness of these dangers.
As a result, this extremist government has been largely shunned by officials from the U.S. and other nations, which have refused to meet with far-right ministers who publicly support the anti-democratic attacks.
Despite this broad consensus, recent media reports confirmed that the Celebrate Israel Parade has nonetheless decided to host a record number of Israeli government ministers and officials. Some of them represent the most racist, homophobic, and authoritarian elements of this government.
The delegation includes nine ministers. Among them, Minister of Heritage Amichai Eliyahu of the Jewish supremacist Otzma Yehudit party (Jewish Power), with which the Biden administration and other countries’ diplomats refuse to meet. The European Union recently canceled a Europe Day reception over the planned participation of the chair of the Otzma Yehudit Party, Itamar Ben Gvir, a man criminally convicted of support for a terrorist organization. Minister Eliyahu, who has called upon the government “not to compromise” on the judicial overhaul, also advocates limiting the Law of Return by repealing the Grandchild Clause, a proposal described by the Union for Reform Judaism as “an effort to shun those worldwide who identify as Jews.” One of the most unequivocal homophobes in government, Eliyahu often speaks out against the gay rights movement, which he calls “the LGBT terror.”
Minister of Aliyah, Ofir Sofer, will represent the far-right Religious Zionism party in the Parade. The party’s leader, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, arrived in the U.S. and Europe in March for a formal visit but was refused contact by any federal, state, and local officials as well as most Jewish organizations. Also invited to the Parade is Minister of Information Galit Distel Atbaryan, an outspoken proponent of the assault on the judiciary. She is notorious for spreading “deep-state” conspiracy theories about the anti-government demonstrations, and often uses inflammatory remarks when denouncing protesters. She has named them “weaklings fallen by the wayside,” “not the people of Israel,” and called to revoke the medical licenses of doctors who took part in a labor strike against the anti-democratic legislation.
Finally, the Parade will also host the architect of the judicial overhaul, Simcha Rothman, the chair of the Knesset’s Constitution, Law, and Justice Committee. Rothman, who holds some of the most radical views in the coalition concerning restricting the judiciary’s independence, is single-handedly pushing through the legislation in the Knesset, and now threatens to break the coalition apart if the legislation is not passed.
After being ostracized by mainstream Jewish organizations and the U.S. government, these officials have now found a backdoor into the Jewish-American community through the Celebrate Israel Parade.
This is an insult to the many hundreds of thousands of Israelis and American Jews who have been fighting for democracy in cities across Israel and the U.S.
The broad attack on Israeli democratic institutions by the newly-formed government has sparked the largest protest movement in the country’s history, with an unprecedented number of people taking to the streets, mass strikes, and acts of civil disobedience. It attracted widespread condemnations from world leaders, including President Biden and Congressional leaders, Jewish organizations, business groups, and international institutions. In New York and around the nation, Israeli and American Jews have held weekly demonstrations to oppose the judicial overhaul and raise awareness of these dangers.
As a result, this extremist government has been largely shunned by officials from the U.S. and other nations, which have refused to meet with far-right ministers who publicly support the anti-democratic attacks.
Despite this broad consensus, recent media reports confirmed that the Celebrate Israel Parade has nonetheless decided to host a record number of Israeli government ministers and officials. Some of them represent the most racist, homophobic, and authoritarian elements of this government.
The delegation includes nine ministers. Among them, Minister of Heritage Amichai Eliyahu of the Jewish supremacist Otzma Yehudit party (Jewish Power), with which the Biden administration and other countries’ diplomats refuse to meet. The European Union recently canceled a Europe Day reception over the planned participation of the chair of the Otzma Yehudit Party, Itamar Ben Gvir, a man criminally convicted of support for a terrorist organization. Minister Eliyahu, who has called upon the government “not to compromise” on the judicial overhaul, also advocates limiting the Law of Return by repealing the Grandchild Clause, a proposal described by the Union for Reform Judaism as “an effort to shun those worldwide who identify as Jews.” One of the most unequivocal homophobes in government, Eliyahu often speaks out against the gay rights movement, which he calls “the LGBT terror.”
Minister of Aliyah, Ofir Sofer, will represent the far-right Religious Zionism party in the Parade. The party’s leader, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, arrived in the U.S. and Europe in March for a formal visit but was refused contact by any federal, state, and local officials as well as most Jewish organizations. Also invited to the Parade is Minister of Information Galit Distel Atbaryan, an outspoken proponent of the assault on the judiciary. She is notorious for spreading “deep-state” conspiracy theories about the anti-government demonstrations, and often uses inflammatory remarks when denouncing protesters. She has named them “weaklings fallen by the wayside,” “not the people of Israel,” and called to revoke the medical licenses of doctors who took part in a labor strike against the anti-democratic legislation.
Finally, the Parade will also host the architect of the judicial overhaul, Simcha Rothman, the chair of the Knesset’s Constitution, Law, and Justice Committee. Rothman, who holds some of the most radical views in the coalition concerning restricting the judiciary’s independence, is single-handedly pushing through the legislation in the Knesset, and now threatens to break the coalition apart if the legislation is not passed.
After being ostracized by mainstream Jewish organizations and the U.S. government, these officials have now found a backdoor into the Jewish-American community through the Celebrate Israel Parade.
This is an insult to the many hundreds of thousands of Israelis and American Jews who have been fighting for democracy in cities across Israel and the U.S.
Why is this important?
Quietly accepting such a large and extremist governmental delegation at a major American event will be used by anti-democratic forces in Israel as evidence that the judicial overhaul is not opposed by U.S. officials and can thus advance quickly and freely.
Though many of us have previously attended the Celebrate Israel Parade, we cannot march alongside extremist government officials while they are engaged in a plan to eviscerate the country’s democracy.
The theme of this year's Celebrate Israel Parade is "renewing the hope," but there is nothing hopeful in the dangerous path to authoritarianism that the Parade's guests are dragging Israel into.
We call upon the JCRC-NY and all those who care about the future of the State of Israel to stand in solidarity with the pro-democracy protesters in Israel, New York, and across the U.S. Oppose the participation of the extremist Israeli government’s delegation in this year’s Celebrate Israel Parade.
Though many of us have previously attended the Celebrate Israel Parade, we cannot march alongside extremist government officials while they are engaged in a plan to eviscerate the country’s democracy.
The theme of this year's Celebrate Israel Parade is "renewing the hope," but there is nothing hopeful in the dangerous path to authoritarianism that the Parade's guests are dragging Israel into.
We call upon the JCRC-NY and all those who care about the future of the State of Israel to stand in solidarity with the pro-democracy protesters in Israel, New York, and across the U.S. Oppose the participation of the extremist Israeli government’s delegation in this year’s Celebrate Israel Parade.