A new survey of Jewish New Yorkers about the upcoming Salute to Israel Parade shows that only one in five of those who attended the parade in the last five years plan to do so again this year, voicing concerns for their safety. Of those planning on attending, 64 percent are either “very” or “somewhat” concerned for their safety for the first time.
Of Jewish New Yorkers surveyed who had attended the annual Fifth Avenue Israel parade in the past five years, 16 percent said they were “probably attending” and only five percent said they will “definitely” attend, while 79 percent said they were either “unlikely” to attend or had not decided yet.
Meanwhile, among those definitely planning on attending, 78 percent said they are “very concerned” about their safety due to Israel’s war against Hamas and the rise of antisemitism in the U.S. In contrast, 77 percent of respondents who had attended previous Israel parades said they had never felt such concerns, while only 18 percent said they had been concerned in previous years.
The majority of those planning on attending the parade said the situation in Israel and the U.S. since Oct. 7 had influenced their decision. Of those respondents definitely planning on attending, 67 percent said Israel’s ongoing war on Hamas had impacted their decision; 78 percent said attacks on Jews in New York since Oct. 7, as well as ongoing anti-Israel campus protests had impacted their decision; and 56 percent said increased antisemitism nationwide impacted their decision to attend.
The survey of 287 Jewish New Yorkers was conducted May 22-23 by Liraz Margalit, PhD, of Topicx, an advanced AI platform, through virtual phone interviews powered by generative AI, which engages participants in conversations to gain a deeper understanding of their views, perceptions, and emotions. The respondents statistically represented a cross-section of age and demographic groups, and the survey carried a ±5.8 percent margin of error.
The survey was commissioned by a new Israeli company for immigration to Israel, Belong, which provides a range of concierge relocation services to immigrants to Israel and to those seeking travel and temporary Israel experiences, including study abroad and post-graduate degree programs.
The majority of respondents planning on attending the parade said they are between the ages of 35-64, with 56 percent of them identifying as female and 44 percent identifying as male. Of those respondents, 24 percent had a college degree, and 26 percent had a post-graduate degree.
“Jews are worried about being supportive of Israel and scared for their safety in the streets of New York City, and this should concern American and Israeli decision-makers alike. It is important for the American Jewish community to know: we see you, and we support you,” said Eilon Gilad, CEO of Belong.
“This year’s parade isn’t like any other year. Every Jew marching in solidarity with Israel needs to know the Israelis are supporting them and their stance against antisemitism and anti-Israel attacks. That’s why it’s so important that even more people attend this year. Israeli and American Jews stand shoulder to shoulder during these challenging times.”
The New York Police Department has said it plans to add extra patrols to the parade route this year because of the ongoing anti-Israel protests.