New
York, New York --- June 2, 2012 ... In a few hours the Annual
Salute to Israel Day Parade will kick off in New York City with
over 35,000 marchers, 29 floats and 18 marching bands. The Parade
will turn New York City blue and white from the Empire State building
to 5th Avenue as a sea of Israeli flags are waved proudly from
57th to 74th Streets.
The parade is the premiere
event of the JCRC-NYs Celebrate Israel Project an
initiative largely sponsored by UJA-Federation of New York, Jewish
Communal Fund, Israel Ministry of Public Diplomacy and Diaspora
Affairs, Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Consulate General
of Israel in New York.
But
why do we celebrate? What is so special about Israel?
The
Israel News Agency will list 18 reasons why you should
march tomorrow with an Israeli flag in your hand.
Israel,
the biblical and historical home of the Jewish people is
alive today. Born from the ashes of the Holocaust, Israelis and
Jews worldwide have once again secured a homeland for which no
other nation or people can lay claim.
The
Israeli people sacrifice blood and sweat to maintain, protect
and defend this home against all threats. With thousands of enemies
surrounding the small Jewish nation, the people of Israel serve
in the IDF, the Israel police, the Shabak and Mossad and make
deep financial sacrifices to keep your home safe.
Jerusalem,
the capital of Israel, celebrates thousands of years as the home
of the Jewish nation. Never again will it be under the control
of another nation. Never again will it be divided.
Jewish
culture is preserved in every day life. From the restaurants,
hotels, offices, homes and every street corner one will hear Hebrew
being spoken - as it was over 5,000 years ago.
The
colorful and magical cities of Israel, each with its own
distinct character from Haifa, Jerusalem, Ra'anana and Tel Aviv
to Kiryat Shamona, Hadera, Ariel and Eilat embrace business by
day and family by night.
Where
else can one truly feel Yom Kippur, Passover, Hanukkah, Rosh HaShanna
and all other Jewish holidays?
Democracy
- the only free democracy in the Middle East which protects freedom
of speech and freedom of religion. Where Islamic and Christian
Arabs can serve in the Israel Defense Forces, the Knesset and
in the Courts. The only nation in the Middle East where Christians
can celebrate their faith.
Humanity
- whenever disaster strikes anywhere in the world - one will usually
find Israelis saving lives there. Handing out food and water in
Haiti and Turkey, blankets and toys in Japan and India, saving
terror victims in Kenya. The heart of Israel serves as a light
unto all nations.
Israeli
hi-tech - where such global companies as Microsoft, INTEL,
HP, Cisco, Google have their R&D offices. With more than 3,000
high-tech companies and start-ups, Israel has the highest concentration
of hi-tech companies in the world (apart from the Silicon Valley).
The cell phone was developed in Israel by Israelis working in
the Israeli branch of Motorola, which has its largest development
center in Israel. Want to boycott Israel? Then turn off your computer
as the Pentium MMX Chip technology was designed in Israel at Intel.
Both the Pentium-4 microprocessor and the Centrino processor were
entirely designed, developed and produced in Israel.
Education
- twenty-four percent of Israels workforce holds university
degrees - ranking third in the industrialized world, after the
United States and Holland - and 12 percent hold advanced degrees.
Israel has also been voted one of the happiest nations to live
in.
Israel
is ranked #2 in the world for venture capital funds right
behind the U. S.
On
a per capita basis, Israel has the largest number of biotech
startups. Israeli medical researchers have created a number of
firsts including developing a vaccine to prevent and cure cancer.
The Israeli company Vaxil BioTherapeutics has formulated a therapeutic
cancer vaccine, now in clinical trials at Hadassah University
Medical Center in Jerusalem. If all goes well, the vaccine could
be available in a few years, to administer on a regular basis
not only to help treat cancer but in order to keep the disease
from recurring.
Israel
was the first nation in the world to adopt the Kimberly process,
an international standard that certifies diamonds as "conflict
free."
Israel
has the third highest rate of entrepreneurship - and the
highest rate among women and among people over 55 - in the world.
Some
of the most beautiful beaches in the world. The only nation
in the Middle East which has turned grey and tan desert into vibrant
green.
Jewish
sports stars who collect gold medals worldwide from basketball
and tennis to wind surfing and gymnastics.
IDF
Col. Ilan Ramon, the first Israeli astronaut.
From houmos and falafel, to computer chips and award winning wine
- it is our home. Our only home.
For this we celebrate, smile and take pride.