Posters in Paris broadcasting the plight of Israeli hostages in Gaza covered over with pro-Palestinian messages. Photo: Reuters/Magali Cohen

i24 News –  In a powerful display of solidarity, over 70 family members of Israeli hostages led the annual Israel Parade on Fifth Avenue in New York City.

They were joined by over 50,000 marchers, chanting “bring them home now,” to demand the release of the 125 hostages still held captive by Hamas.

The traditional support parade for Israel saw participation from New York’s Jewish and Israeli communities, demonstrating their unwavering love for Israel and support for the families of the hostages.

This year, the parade particularly focused on urging the approval of a deal proposed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to secure the hostages’ release.

The march was bolstered by the presence of more than 3,500 supporters of the families’ headquarters in New York, all wearing shirts emblazoned with the slogan “bring them home now!”

This group represented the largest contingent in the parade’s history. Along the parade route, the families of the abductees were met with enthusiastic support from tens of thousands of participants, including prominent leaders such as Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, New York Governor Kathy Hochul, and New York City Mayor Eric Adams.

Aviva Siegel, a survivor of captivity, shared her heartfelt message with the crowd: “When I was in captivity, I felt the energy being sent to me and knew people were doing everything to bring me home. I’m sure Keith feels it now too. This parade and the tremendous support we receive here is another proof of the importance of the presence of Jews around the world. Together we will bring everyone home.”

Rubi Chen, the father of abducted spaceman Itai Chen, echoed these sentiments.

🚨BREAKING: EDEN GOLAN 🩷opens the Israel parade in New York*

Eden opened the Israel Parade today on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, New York, in which tens of thousands of Jews from all around the world participated.

Golan was invited as a guest of honor to the parade and led it… pic.twitter.com/Ob8oFgoVoY

— Iris (@streetwize) June 2, 2024

“As someone who was born and raised in New York, the twin disaster showed the world how New Yorkers stand together in any situation. Now I would like to thank the New Yorkers who are supporting me and our son in this difficult time and demanding the release of the 125 abductees.”

Chen added, “We are in critical days, this is the time for leadership. I call on Prime Minister Netanyahu to advance the deal that will return all the abductees – the living for rehabilitation and the murdered for burial.”