“May He give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed.  May we shout for joy over your victory and lift up our banners in the name of our God. May the Lord grant all your requests.”  (Psalm 20:4–5)

Heavy rain on Sunday, June 5 did not dampen the spirit of more than 30,000 people who turned up for the Celebrate Israel Parade in Manhattan.  Among those marching was New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo, who on Sunday signed the first-in-nation Executive Order blocking state funds from going to supporters of the BDS campaign.

The Celebrate Israel Parade, which began in 1965 as an unplanned rally of support for the Jewish state, took this year’s crowds across Manhattan from 52nd Street to 74th Street.

Ido Aharoni, the Israeli consul general to New York, and Danny Danon, the Israeli ambassador to the United Nations, attended along with various Israeli mayors and Knesset Members who flew in for the event.

Governor Andrew Cuomo showed his support for Israel by marching in the annual Celebrate Israel parade despite the heavy rain.  (Office of the Governor photo)

Danon described the sight of “tens of thousands of Americans coming out to the streets of New York to show their unwavering support of Israel” as “heartwarming.”

“We have true friends in America.  This alliance is stronger than ever and is rooted in our joint commitment to the values and ideals that both our countries hold dear,” Danon said.  (Arutz Sheva)

Television host, singer-songwriter, and actress Kathie Lee Gifford served as the parade’s Honorary Grand Marshal, while cast members from Broadway’s iconic “Fiddler on the Roof” sang songs along the route.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio spoke of New York’s “deep love for the people of Israel,” stating that “the residents of New York believe in Israel.”  (Times of Israel)

“As long as I am mayor, we will always stand by Israel,” he said.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio marches in the Celebrate Israel Parade in Manhattan on Sunday, June 5, 2016.  (Mayoral Photography Office photo by Michael Appleton)

Almost a week prior, in Toronto, the UJA Federation of Greater Toronto filled the streets with a record-setting 20,000 people at the group’s 46th annual Walk with Israel, while 300 athletes simultaneously took part in Toronto’s second annual Run With Israel, altogether raising $1.1 million.

Speaking at the May 29 event, Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne announced that her recent week-long trip to Israel resulted in “more than $87 million in business deals for Ontario in areas such as high-tech, education, and medicine,” writes Daniel Koren for CJNews.

While Wynne said working with Israel has “huge” mutual benefits for the nations, the New York governor said before the Celebrate Israel Parade that the anti-Israel Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement “is an economic attack” that has been “generating a corporate enemy to Israel.”

“We cannot allow that to happen,” Cuomo stated, posting to Twitter Sunday morning, “I am signing an Executive Order that says very clearly we are against the BDS movement.  If you boycott Israel, New York will boycott you.”

Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne speaks with participants at the UJA Walk with Israel.  (Premier of Ontario Photography)

Cuomo’s Executive Order No. 157 will bring relief to churches, organizations, and businesses that support Israel and have felt the sting of BDS’ arrows.  The order will begin by making a list of businesses that directly or indirectly back BDS, and then will cause state entities, including all “executive branch agencies, … public boards, authorities, commissions and all public-benefit corporations” to pull funding that goes to BDS proponents.

“New York stands in solidarity with Israel today and always.  This state will not stand for the politics of discrimination in any form, and we will continue to demonstrate our unwavering support for the people of Israel in the fight for freedom, liberty and democracy,” Governor Cuomo said at his announcement.  “I’m proud to sign this nation’s leading executive order, which will help protect Israel from the threat of divestment.”

“This order sends the message that this state will do everything in its power to end this hateful, intolerant campaign,” Cuomo said.  “New York and Israel share an unbreakable bond, and I pray that the Israeli and Palestinian people will find a way to live side by side and find peace, prosperity and security.”

The governor’s statement identifies the BDS campaign as:

• Calling for a complete boycott of Israeli products and companies;
• Promoting divestment actions targeting organizations such as endowed universities or churches and high-profile businesses with large financial holdings in companies supporting Israel; and
• Urging sanctions against Israel in a direct attempt to harm the economic viability of the State.