New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani defended his decision to skip the Israel Day parade, scheduled for Sunday, during a security briefing on Thursday.
Mamdani, who has repeatedly come under fire for his anti-Israel positions, pledged to avoid the annual march during his mayoral campaign last year, and confirmed earlier this week that he does not plan to attend. His refusal to participate breaks sharply with a long-standing tradition observed by prior New York City mayors, who have historically marched up Fifth Avenue to demonstrate solidarity with the Jewish state and New York’s vast Jewish population.
“While I will not be attending, our administration has been preparing for weeks to ensure the parade is safe,” Mamdani announced during the joint law enforcement briefing, as quoted by The New York Daily News.
He emphasized that his team prioritizes public safety at mass gatherings throughout the five boroughs, regardless of my attendance.
The political divide within City Hall became strikingly apparent when reporters asked whether the mayor planned to send executive surrogates to march on behalf of his administration. In response, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch, who is Jewish and a strong supporter of Israel, pointed directly at herself.
“It’s the mayor’s decision not to march, and it is my decision to march proudly,” Tisch declared, describing the annual event as “one of the most joyful days of the year”.
She detailed an unprecedented security apparatus designed to protect the route, revealing that the NYPD is assembling the largest security detail in the parade’s history amid a climate of heightened threats directed at synagogues across New York City and the wider nation.
The defensive posture will see the largest volume of officers and heavy weapons teams ever deployed to the event. Law enforcement personnel will strictly vet all individuals attempting to access the parade perimeter. Tisch issued a blunt warning to attendees regarding the mandatory checkpoints, stating: “If you think you are too important to be screened, don’t come”.
The refusal to attend Sunday’s parade is the latest in a series of anti-Israel steps taken by Mamdani. During his election campaign, Mamdani refused to disavow the phrase “globalize the intifada”. He was also called out for criticizing Israel on October 8, 2023 – just one day after the Hamas massacre in southern Israel.
He has repeatedly accused Israel of war crimes in its battle against Hamas in Gaza, and has vowed to arrest Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he visits New York City.
Mamdani then caused an uproar on his first day in office when he cancelled executive orders related to Israel, which were issued by his predecessor, Eric Adams.
The move cancelled an order signed by Adams in June of 2025 formally recognizing the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism.
Another executive order which was cancelled prohibited mayoral appointees and agency staff from boycotting and disinvesting from Israel.
Mamdani has faced multiple antisemitism controversies since taking office. A recent report indicated that Mamdani’s wife, Rama Dawaji, liked several social media posts that praised or appeared supportive of Hamas’s October 7, 2023, massacre.
Earlier this month, Mamdani released an official video commemorating the “Nakba,” a term used by Palestinian Arabs to label the establishment of the State of Israel as a catastrophe.
Despite condemnation from Jewish organizations, Mamdani defended the posting of the video.
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