Mayor Zohran Mamdani has confirmed he will not be attending the upcoming annual Israel Parade on Sunday, making him the first NYC mayor not to participate since 1964.
For the last 61 years, every single sitting Mayor of New York City has joined in the parade, which is the biggest such celebration outside the Jewish state itself.
The theme of the 2026 Israel Day on Fifth is "Proud Americans, Proud Zionists."
In a statement to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA), Mamdani said, “I look forward to joining and hosting many community events celebrating Jewish life in New York and the rich Jewish history and culture of our city.”
"While I will not be attending the Israel Day Parade, my lack of attendance should not be mistaken for a refusal to provide security or the necessary permits for its safety. I’ve been very clear: I believe in equal rights for all people everywhere. That principle guides me consistently," he said.
NY leaders and Jewish officials condemn Mamdani’s absence from Israel Parade
This is a dramatic break from last year’s parade, which saw then-Mayor Eric Adams join 40,000 people marching in support of Israel and the Jewish people.
“Every Mayor of New York City has marched in the Israel Day Parade," Moshe Davis, former executive director of the Mayor’s Office to Combat Antisemitism under Mayor Eric Adams, told The Jerusalem Post. "It's a celebration of the Jewish community that helped build this city and the enduring relationship between New York and Israel - a relationship that has made our hospitals, our universities, and our economy stronger. To skip this parade is an affront to our history and to the contributions that have made New York great."
Israel's Consul General in NY, Ofir Akunis, called on all Jewish communities and Israelis in New York to come to the Israel Parade.
"This year, when antisemitism and hatred of Israel is at an all-time high — fueled by leaders in NYC and worldwide — we must show them that the blue and white flag will never be taken down!" he said.
Rabbi Marc Schneier of the Orthodox Hampton Synagogue addressed Mamdani directly, saying, "No one wants you at the Celebrate Israel Parade anyway. We don’t want you, your rhetoric, and your diatribe to ruin our proud day."
Protest against Mamdani's policies
The group End Jew Hatred held a large protest outside Mamdani's residence - Gracie Mansion - on Tuesday night.
End Jew Hatred organized the rally to protest Mamdani's refusal to stop religious freedom violations against the Jewish people. This included his veto in April of a bill that would have protected educational facilities from protests in a legislative attempt to combat antisemitism.
"Islamists and radical mobs have flooded our streets and attacked houses of worship. We will not be intimidated. Take back our streets," the promotional materials read
The demonstration took place in a cordoned-off area, with a heavy police presence between the protesters and the mayor's residence.
Figures such as Rabbi Elchanan Poupko noted the irony of this buffer zone, given Mamdani's veto of a bill to provide buffer zones for Jewish schools.
“Let that sink in: The mayor who used his veto power to prevent Jewish schools from having buffer zones against Nazis protesting at their doorstep, has a buffer zone against New Yorkers that are persisting him,” Poupko wrote.
NY State Assembly member Michael Novakhov, who spoke at the rally, told his community, “We will not stay silent in the face of antisemitism, Communism, and the dangerous pro-terrorist rhetoric coming from Zohran Mamdani.”
There was also controversy after sitting NYC Council member Shahana Hanif told two Muslim allies of the Jews who attended the protest: “May Allah condemn you to hell.”
“Telling fellow Muslims to go to hell because they’re willing to work with Jews...” Councilwoman Inna Vernikov said. “Not surprising though, from someone who called to Globalize the intifada and voted no on a symbolic resolution to end Jew hatred.”