1.
SV TILT FLAGS
0.04

2.
SLV OFFICIALS AND GUESTS
0.06

3.
GV JEEPS WITH FLAGBEARERS PARADE
0.11

4.
GV CROWD
0.12

5.
CU GENERAL KOENIG WITH MR BEGIN
0.16

6.
SV PAN..TROOPS PASS IN VEHICLES
0.27

7.
SV ANTI-AIRCRAFT GUN VEHICLE PASSES
0.32

8.
CU ARAB AND DRUSE GUESTS
0.35

9.
GV REAR SHOT..ANTI-AIRCRAFT VEHICLES PASS
0.43

10.
SV RADAR VEHICLE PASSES
0.48

11.
SV ANTI-AIRCRAFT VEHICLE PASSES
0.57

12.
SV TROOPS MARCH PAST
1.04

13.
CU ISRAELI GIRL SOLDIERS LOOK ON
1.05

14.
SV REAR SHOT..SAILORS PARADE
1.08

15.
SV PAN..GIRL SOLDIERS PARADE
1.20



Initials RM/VS/JF/ES



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: ISRAEL MARKED THE 19TH ANNIVERSARY OF ITS FOUNDING YESTERDAY (MONDAY) WITH A MILITARY PARADE THROUGH JERUSALEM, IN SPITE OF SHARP PROTESTS FROM ARAB COUNTRIES, AND PARTICULARLY FROM NEIGHBOURING JORDAN. ALTHOUGH WATCHED BY A CROWD OF ABOUT 200,000 PEOPLE, THE PARADE WAS A SMALL ONE -- WITH NO PLANES IN THE SKY, NO TANKS ON THE GROUND, AND FEW OF THE MODERN WEAPONS ON WHICH ISRAEL RELIES FOR DEFENCE.

THE CONTINGENTS IN THE PARADE INCLUDED ONLY THE TYPES OF ARMS ALLOWED IN JERUSALEM UNDER THE TERMS OF THE ARMISTICE BETWEEN ISRAEL AND JORDAN IN 1949. THIS ARMISTICE ENDED THE SHORT BUT BITTER WAR BETWEEN ISRAEL AND THE ARAB STATES WHICH FOLLOWED THE CREATION OF ISRAEL ON 15 MAY 1948.

ABOUT 1,600 ISRAELI MEN AND WOMEN MARCHED IN THE PARADE OR RODE IN JEEPS, WATCHED BY A CROWD INCLUDING GENERAL PIERRE KOENIG AND MR. MENAHEM BEGIN, A MEMBER OF THE ISRAELI PARLIAMENT, WHO BOTH FOUGHT TO SECURE THE STATE OF ISRAEL. THE MOST DANGEROUS PIECES OF ARTILLERY ON DISPLAY WERE 30 AND 40 MILLIMETRE GUNS AND 81 MILLIMETRE MORTARS, AND THE HEAVIEST VEHICLES WERE WEAPONS CARRIERS.

THE PARADE IN JERUSALEM WAS THE CLIMAX OF INDEPENDENCE DAY CELEBRATION THROUGHOUT ISRAEL. AT THE SAME TIME, THROUGHOUT THE ARAB WORLD, THERE WERE PROTEST DEMONSTRATIONS AGAINST THE FOUNDING OF ISRAEL.