"It was inevitable: Jerusalem once again is at the center of political debates and international storms. New and old tensions surface at a disturbing pace. 17 times destroyed and 17 times rebuilt, it is still in the middle of diplomatic confrontations that could lead to armed conflict. Neither Athens nor Rome has aroused that many passions."

It is true that Jerusalem has gone through an incredible amount of history, always at the center of Jewish concerns (and often those of other peoples and religions). The City of Peace (as its name ironically means) has gone through a multitude of rulers, many of them recognizing the spiritual significance of the place where Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Joshua, Samuel, David, the prophets, as well as Jesus and the Apostles, as well as Muhammad (according to Muslim tradition) all walked.

Even today, the word "Israeli" refers to members of a number of religious and national groups. You have Jews of all stripes, whether religious or secular, black or white. You have Arab Muslims who are citizens of Israel, Arab Christians, the Bedouins of the Negev (usually Muslim but not always), and the Druze of the North (an interesting religious denomination related to Islam, but Muslims don't usually consider them Muslim). You've got the African Hebrew Israelites of Jerusalem, an unusual religious group who live mainly in Dimona (best known for Israel's nuclear research center). They believe themselves to be descended from the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel. You have some Armenian Christians, mostly in Jerusalem. Armenians were one of the first groups to convert to Christianity, and so their patriarchate is ancient indeed. You have Circassians, who are Muslims who were driven out of the Caucasus by Czarist Russia and speak a little-known language called Adyghe as well as Russian. You have a few hundred Baha'is, mainly those who work at Baha'i shrines like the Shrine of the Bab in Haifa. And you have Samaritans, a distinct enthoreligious group who live mainly in the West Bank and claim descent from the ancient Samaritans mentioned in the Bible (both Hebrew and Christian).

All that, in a state smaller the size of Rhode Island with just 7,000,000 residents! And wait until you hear about the diversity of its climate zones...
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The Salute to Israel Parade's street banners are up and lining Fifth Avenue (and major cross streets) for the month of May! Thanks to Roni from our Gahelet marching group for the lovely picture. And thanks to our banner sponsors - Empire Blue Cross, El Al Israel Airlines, Robot Galaxy and IsraelPhones. See you all on Fifth Avenue on May 23rd!

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