The last large-scale military parade in Israel (a country that has been at war throughout its existence) took place in 1968, immediately after the Six Day War. Four hundred planes flew over liberated Jerusalem. Almost five thousand soldiers drove through the city in tanks.
Seeing the budget for this holiday, Prime Minister Golda Meir turned pale and publicly promised that there would never be more devastating military parades in Israel: “Military parades are held only by African dictators, and Israel’s military power is at such a high level that it does not need constant demonstration.”
Meir kept her promise. Since then, annual military parades have not really been held in the country. And military power is growing.