1,000 Expected to Participate in Sunday Parade to Honor Israel
More than 1,000 marchers are expected to participate in the West Coast Salute to Israel parade Sunday to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Six-Day War.
The event will feature 12 marching bands from Southland high schools and youth groups, the California National Guard Band, and drill teams, drum squads and equestrian groups from Montebello, Riverside and Whittier Narrows.
For the record:
12:00 a.m. June 14, 1987 For the Record
Los Angeles Times Sunday June 14, 1987 Home Edition Westside Part 10 Page 2 Column 3 Zones Desk 2 inches; 51 words Type of Material: Correction
A story in Thursday’s Westside section said that the West Coast Salute to Israel Parade at noon today will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Six-Day War, but according to Yitzhak Eldan, deputy consul general of Israel, the event will observe the 20th anniversary of the 1967 “reunification” of Jerusalem. More than 3,000 marchers will participate, sources said.
Also scheduled to participate are color guards from the American Legion, Blue Knights of East Los Angeles, the Shomrim Society of Southern California and the Sea Cadets from Santa Monica.
The parade is scheduled to step off from the corner of Pico Boulevard and Century Park East at noon and proceed east along Pico, past a reviewing stand in front of the Yeshiva University building between Castello Avenue and Beverwil Drive. It will turn north up La Cienega Boulevard and end near Olympic Boulevard in the parking lot of Temple Beth Am.
The Los Angeles City Council has declared the parade a special event, an action that carries $5,100 worth of services including barricades, traffic control officers and six portable restrooms.
Local Islamic organizations have protested the council’s decision, objecting to language in the council’s resolution referring to the 1967 “reunification” of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
“We think this is contrary to our (American) government’s foreign policy, since our own government does not recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, and except for two or three countries which have acknowledged Jerusalem as the capital, no other country does,” said Nazir Khaja, chairman of the board of Islamic Information Service.
“So the city has no business to allocate taxpayers’ money to a community event of this nature,” he said. “At best, it shows a callous disregard to our feelings as a minority.”
Salam Al-Marayati, director of public affairs for the Islamic group, said a representative will meet with Councilman Zev Yaroslavsky to discuss its objections.
The event is being organized by the Yeshiva University of Los Angeles, the B’nai B’rith Messenger and the Simon Wiesenthal Center.
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