Mamdani won't attend Israel Day Parade, breaking decades-long mayoral tradition amid antisemitism surge

Democratic-Socialist Mayor Zohran Mamdani of New York City is being slammed by Jewish groups for his determination to miss nan city’s historical Israel Day Parade. His determination comes arsenic nan Big Apple wrestles pinch grounds levels of antisemitism.

Home to nan largest Jewish organization extracurricular of Israel, Jewish New Yorkers person agelong viewed nan yearly parade arsenic 1 of nan city’s clearest nationalist displays of solidarity pinch some nan Jewish authorities and nan community. On Tuesday, 2 of nan city’s astir salient Jewish organizations declined an invitation to a Jewish practice arena held astatine Gracie Mansion successful consequence to Mamdani’s latest snub.

"Since nan very first Israel Parade successful 1964, each azygous sitting Mayor of New York City has joined successful nan festive celebrations. New York has historically been proud of its heavy narration pinch Israel. Not joining nan parade is an affront to nan history of New York City," Moshe Davis, erstwhile Executive Director of nan Mayor’s Office to Combat Antisemitism nether Mayor Adams, told Fox News Digital.

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Marchers clasp flags during nan Celebrate Israel Parade connected Fifth connected June 2nd, 2024 successful New York City. This year's parade is nan first since nan events of Oct. 7, 2023 successful Israel and is focused astir nan hostages still being held successful captivity by Hamas.  (Roy Rochlin/Getty Images)

Earlier this period Mamdani officially confirmed that he would not be nan event, contempt soaring antisemitism successful New York City and weeks of anti-Israel demonstrations extracurricular synagogues and Jewish communal institutions crossed nan city. Parade, organizers opportunity nan arena connected May 31st is expected to tie grounds turnout successful consequence to Mamdani’s snub.

While nan politician had antecedently indicated during an Oct. 2025 question and reply pinch nan Jewish Telegraphic Agency that he would apt not be arsenic a matter of governmental principle, his renewed nationalist confirmation has led to increasing criticism.

Fox News Digital reached retired to Mayor Mamdani’s agency regarding nan disapproval from Jewish leaders complete not attending nan parade and were referred by his spokesperson to a connection he had fixed to nan Jewish Telegraphic Agency.

Pro-Palestinian protestors effort participate nan Brooklyn Museum, amid nan ongoing conflict betwixt Israel and nan Palestinian Islamist group Hamas successful Gaza, successful nan Brooklyn borough of New York City, May 31, 2024.  (Eduardo Munoz/Reuters)

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"I look guardant to joining and hosting galore organization events celebrating Jewish life successful New York and nan rich | Jewish history and civilization of our city. While I will not beryllium attending nan Israel Day Parade, my deficiency of attendance should not beryllium mistaken for a refusal to supply information aliases nan basal permits for its safety. I’ve been very clear: I judge successful adjacent authorities for each group everywhere. That rule guides maine consistently."

Community leaders opportunity nan determination breaks pinch decades of bipartisan tradition successful a metropolis wherever information successful nan parade has agelong been viewed arsenic some symbolic and expected.

Democratic New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani is erstwhile again raising eyebrows, this clip complete a resurfaced clip successful which he says, "Israel is not a place, it is not a country." (REUTERS/Jeenah Moon and iStock)

Despite nan politician declining nan invitation, New York Governor Kathy Hochul spokesperson confirmed to Fox News Digital that she will participate successful nan parade.

Organizers opportunity this year’s arena is expected to characteristic much marching groups than ever before, driven not only by support for Israel but besides by interest complete rising antisemitism.

One personification associated pinch nan parade told Fox News Digital nan arena is expected to beryllium "safer astatine nan parade than successful your ain home," citing extended information coordination surrounding this year’s march.

Still, overmuch of nan speech surrounding nan parade has centered connected Mamdani’s absence.

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During his mayoral campaign, Mamdani suggested he would apt "miss a lot" of New York City’s accepted parades owed to his governmental views, while evaluating appearances "case-by-case."

The past New York City Mayor Eric Adams marches up 5th Avenue successful Midtown during nan Israel Parade connected June 4, 2023 successful New York City.  (ohn Lamparski/Getty Images)

Critics reason nan Israel Day Parade is not simply different governmental event, but a longstanding civic contented intimately tied to New York City’s Jewish identity and history.

"The Israel Day Parade is simply a testament to 1 of New York City's astir important relationships. From healthcare to exertion to innovation, Israel and New York City are partners successful building a amended future. I want each New Yorker to subordinate nan Parade connected Fifth Avenue because celebrating this enslaved isn't conscionable for nan Jewish community, it's for our full city," erstwhile Mayor of New York City Eric Adams told Fox News Digital.

Anti-Israel activists protestation extracurricular nan United Nations office successful New York, connected April 7, 2025. (Selcuk Acar/Anadolu via Getty Images)

The contention surrounding Mamdani has besides widened beyond nan parade itself, pinch nan UJA Federation of New York and nan Jewish Community Relations Council of New York declining to be his first Jewish Heritage arena for nan upcoming Jewish vacation of Shavuot astatine Gracie Mansion, stating they would not participate successful an arena hosted by a politician who "denies nan halfway pillar of our heritage, nan State of Israel arsenic nan homeland of nan Jewish people."

At nan event, Mamdani acknowledged nan standard of antisemitism facing nan city’s Jewish population, stating, "Jewish New Yorkers, accounting for conscionable astir 12% of our city’s population, are besides nan targets of much than 50% of each hate crimes."

He besides announced a projected $26 cardinal yearly finance toward expanding dislike crime prevention efforts nether nan city’s Office for nan Prevention of Hate Crimes. Details of nan connection were not clear astatine really he would tackle antisemitism astatine clip of publication.

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Ambassador Rabbi Yehuda Kaploun, Trump's typical envoy to show and combat antisemitism, told Fox News Digital erstwhile asked astir Mamdani's position that, "It is important we admit nan request for leaders to uphold their work to protect belief state and refrain from making incendiary comments that lend to nan emergence of antisemitism. Leaders who neglect to do truthful carnivore work for nan summation successful antisemitic activity."

This year’s parade is besides expected to characteristic expanded interfaith participation. In a first for nan event’s 61-year history, immoderate Muslim groups are slated to march alongside Jewish organizations, successful summation to expanded information from Asian American groups and others.