Mamdani Refuses To Attend Israel Day Parade As Israeli Delegation Plans Major Show Of Support

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani still does not plan to attend Israel Day on Fifth, the annual Manhattan parade celebrating Israel, scheduled for Sunday, May 31, along Fifth Avenue.

The parade, this year held under the theme “Proud Americans, Proud Zionists,” comes amid heightened concern among Jewish New Yorkers after recent anti-Israel protests outside synagogue-linked events and growing criticism of Mamdani’s record on Israel.

A spokesperson for Mamdani, responding yesterday to criticism from Brooklyn Assembly Member Michael Novakhov, referred reporters back to comments Mamdani made in October, when he said he would not attend the parade but would support city security and permitting for the event.

“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,” Mamdani told JTA at the time. “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.”

Mamdani has not described his decision as a boycott. Novakhov, a Republican who represents parts of southern Brooklyn, accused him of doing so and said the mayor should stand publicly with the city’s Jewish community.

“For decades, elected officials from both parties understood the importance of standing with New York’s Jewish community at the Israel Day Parade,” Novakhov said. “Zohran Mamdani is choosing to boycott this event because he is more interested in appeasing radical antisemitic extremists than standing with Jewish New Yorkers.”

Novakhov also wrote on X that he would march with Jewish New Yorkers because he would “never bow to antisemitic intimidation or radical extremism.”

The parade traditionally draws senior elected officials and Jewish leaders. Last year’s march was attended by then-Mayor Eric Adams, Gov. Kathy Hochul and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.

This year, Israeli officials are also preparing a major show of support. Ynet reported that the Knesset plans to send its largest-ever delegation to the parade, including 16 MKs from coalition and opposition parties and 36 Knesset-linked participants overall, not including ministers expected to attend.

“There is special importance to a large delegation of Knesset members from both the opposition and coalition, which will send a message to New York Jewry that the State of Israel stands with them,” Speaker Amir Ohana’s office said, according to Ynet.

The parade has already become the subject of a dispute among Israeli officials. World Zionist Organization Chairman Yaakov Hagoel invited Mamdani to march with him, saying that if the mayor is committed to Jewish security, he should prove it publicly. Israeli Consul General in New York Ofir Akunis rejected the move and said Hagoel had no authority to invite him.

The latest criticism comes as anti-Israel protests outside Jewish events in New York continue to raise security concerns. Recent demonstrations near Young Israel of Midwood and Park East Synagogue included confrontations and arrests, according to local reports.

At the same time, Mamdani has sought to reassure Jewish New Yorkers that his administration will take antisemitism seriously. On Tuesday, he proposed increasing the budget for the city’s Office for the Prevention of Hate Crimes to $26 million, a move praised by the Anti-Defamation League.

The proposal has not ended criticism over the parade. For Mamdani’s opponents, the issue is not only whether the city provides security, but whether the mayor will appear publicly at one of New York’s most visible expressions of support for Israel and its Jewish community.