Mamdani skips Israel Day parade, breaks with 61-year tradition

Zohran Mamdani’s decision to skip the Israel Day on Fifth parade cut against 61 years of New York mayoral tradition at a moment when support for Israel in American civic life has visibly weakened and antisemitism remains elevated.

The parade, which organizers call the world’s largest gathering in support of Israel, ran Sunday, May 31, from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. along Fifth Avenue from 62nd to 74th Streets. Its theme this year was “Proud Americans, Proud Zionists,” a slogan that underscored both civic belonging and the strain of a national debate reshaped by the war in Gaza.

Mamdani said on the campaign trail that he would not attend, while still backing city security and permitting for the event. He repeated that his absence should not be read as a refusal to protect the parade. The symbolism landed heavily in a city where Jewish leaders have long treated the mayor’s appearance as a sign of solidarity, and where activists and critics of Israel have also made themselves part of the political landscape.

The NYPD called this year’s security plan the most extensive ever assembled for the parade, with screening of participants, spectators and vendors. Mamdani and Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch appeared together at One Police Plaza on Thursday to outline the operation, and the mayor said tens of thousands of New Yorkers and visitors were expected along Fifth Avenue. Tisch, who is Jewish, served as an honorary grand marshal and said she would march proudly in his place.

The backdrop was stark. The Anti-Defamation League said 2025 was the third-highest year on record for antisemitic incidents in the United States, with 6,274 incidents reported, an average of 17 a day. Gallup found in February 2026 that 41% of Americans sympathized more with Palestinians, compared with 36% who sided more with Israelis, reversing a long-standing advantage for Israel in public opinion.

Mamdani’s absence drew swift criticism from Jewish and pro-Israel voices. Assembly Member Michael Novakhov called it “a disgraceful insult to New York’s Jewish community.” Other Jewish leaders argued the parade remains an essential expression of Jewish identity and connection to Israel, even as the city tries to balance solidarity, protest and public safety. Organizers urged attendees to use designated access points at 61st, 63rd, 66th, 70th and 73rd Streets and Madison Avenue, a reminder that the event now unfolds under the shadow of both political division and an unusually large security presence.