Thirty-five cities in Europe, the United States and Latin America will hold marches to mark Israel's 70th anniversary next month in a series of events being organized by March of Life, a group of German Christians and descendants of Nazis who work to keep the memory of the Holocaust alive and to combat anti-Semitism.
"Since the beginning of this movement in 2007, marches have been held in 20 nations and in more than 350 cities in cooperation with Christians from different churches and denominations, as well as many Jewish communities," the organization said in a statement.
This year's marches will culminate with the March of the Nations, in which 6,000 participants will parade through Jerusalem's city center on May 15, exactly 70 years since the end of British rule and the official establishment of Israel.
The Independence Day events began this week with a 5-kilometer (3-mile) march by 600 participants from Konstanz in southern Germany to Kreuzlingen in northern Switzerland.
Pastor Jobst Bittner, who founded the March of Life, said, "We created this organization to keep the memory of the Holocaust alive and to fight anti-Semitism and support Israel. Unfortunately, anti-Semitism has not disappeared and it has now reared its ugly head. That is why we are marching around the world to celebrate Israel's 70th anniversary, and we are going to have all the marches culminate with a large march in Jerusalem."
The organization plans to bring Holocaust survivors to meet descendants of Nazis as part of the event, and also bring together German, Israeli and Polish teens to meet at the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem.
The organization says it will also have a closing gala at the Sultan's Pool on Mount Zion on May 15, "with live television broadcasting for millions of viewers worldwide."
The March of Life organization has three stated goals: "Remembering – working through the past and giving survivors of the Holocaust a voice; reconciliation – healing and restoration between descendants of the victims and perpetrators; and taking a stand for Israel and against modern anti-Semitism."
