Nine Ministers from the Israeli Knesset will arrive in New York at the beginning of next month to participate in the annual salute to Israel parade through the streets of NYC. This is a record number of government ministers participating in the event, which is an annual show of support from the local Jewish community with the participation of dozens of Jewish and Israeli organizations.

The ministers who are expected to participate in the march are Economy Minister and former mayor of Jerusalem Nir Barkat; Science Minister Ofir Akunis; Minister of Intelligence Gila Gamliel; Minister of Labor Yoav Ben-Tzur; Diaspora Minister Amichai Chikli; Minister of Information Galit Distel-Atbaryan; Minister of Immigration and Absorption Ofir Sofer; Minister of Heritage Affairs Amichai Eliyahu and Minister of Jerusalem and Israeli Tradition Meir Porush.

🔵⚪️ In New York City on Sunday, June 4th?

JOIN US @ the Celebrate Israel 🇮🇱 Parade!

👉 Reserve your spot and T-shirt by emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..#BBI180 #Israel75 #JAHM #NYC pic.twitter.com/bpYFFwudGe

— B'nai B'rith Intl. (@BnaiBrith) May 15, 2023

Defense Minister Yoav Galant was also supposed to participate in the Israel parade, but now he is inclined to cancel his participation due to the constraints of his position. The ministers who will participate received the approval of the Prime Minister and the head of the coalition for the trip in accordance with the policy that has been in place since the establishment of the first Israeli government.

A delegation was sent on behalf of the government to the parade last year as well, albeit a smaller one, and it included former Defense Minister Benny Gantz, Diaspora Minister Nachman Shai, and Immigration and Absorption Minister Pnina Tamano Shata.

Hosting nine ministers in New York will be particularly complex in terms of security and logistics because it will require the Israeli consulate to find them and their assistants rooms in hotels in the city as well as arrange for them to have a car and a driver and a team of security guards to accompany them. Beyond that, there is a possibility that there will also be demonstrations against the ministers on behalf of both anti-Zionist Americans and Israelis protesting against the current coalition.

This chap, unmolested, at the Israel parade in NYC today.

Try this with an Israeli flag at a Palestinian protest and you’re taking your life in your hands. pic.twitter.com/gbi2sBfTwT

— Dovid Efune (@Efune) May 22, 2022

In addition to the ministers, a delegation from the Knesset is also scheduled to arrive at the Israel parade, which includes, among other officials, the chairman of the Constitution Committee and leading figure of the judicial reform, MK Simcha Rothman; Comptroller of the State Matanyahu Englman and former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. In addition to government officials, a number of youth groups will parade in support of Zionism and Israel.