New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is set to break more than 60 years of precedent by skipping the annual Israel Day Parade, which is scheduled for this upcoming Sunday.
His decision not to attend was driven by his views on the state of Israel, as well as an unwillingness to alienate his more radical supporters, some of whom have been accused of taking pro-terrorist positions in their opposition to Israel. In a statement defending his decision, the mayor rejected the idea that his absence from the parade would contribute to security concerns, maintaining that he remains committed to ensuring “the safety and security of each and every New Yorker.”
🇺🇸 NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani is breaking decades of tradition by skipping the annual Israel Day Parade this Sunday.
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) May 29, 2026
Every previous New York mayor since 1964 has attended the event.
Mamdani, a vocal critic of Israel who scrapped the city’s anti-BDS policy, says he’ll still… pic.twitter.com/vqc7eKSSWR
“You know, I said on the campaign trail that I wouldn’t be attending the parade, and I’ve made my views on the Israeli government abundantly clear," the mayor said while h edefended his decision. "And I also said on that same campaign that I would have a responsibility, as the mayor of the city, to ensure the safety and security of each and every New Yorker. And I don’t believe that my presence as the mayor should determine whether or not a New Yorker is safe or secure. That is something we take incredibly seriously, and what we also take seriously as an administration is to ensure that we are delivering on not just keeping Jewish New Yorkers safe, but ensuring that Jewish New Yorkers understand that they belong in this city.”
Mayor Zohran Mamdani defends his decision to skip the Israel Day Parade, making him the first New York City mayor to bypass the historic event since 1964.
— Fox News (@FoxNews) May 28, 2026
"I said on the campaign trail that I wouldn't be attending the parade, and I've made my views on the Israeli government… pic.twitter.com/ke5Iqgi6ga
“Mamdani’s decision to snub the Israeli Day Parade demonstrates his deep disdain and hatred of the Jewish community,” former NYC mayor Rudy Giuliani said earlier this month. “When you combine this with his failure to attend the investiture of the new Catholic Archbishop [Ronald Hicks], a pattern emerges, revealing a man on a mission to tear down the foundations of Western civilization.”
New York GOP gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman also slammed Mamdani's decision.
“While Jewish New Yorkers are being terrorized in the streets and attacked by radicals waving the inverted red triangle—the same symbol Hamas uses to mark targets for execution—the sitting mayor has chosen to side with them,” Blakeman said. “For half a century, this parade has been a symbol of unity. Mamdani is shattering that tradition to signal support for those who want Israel off the map and Jews out of New York."
This comes as public opinion continues to shift away from support for Israel, particularly among younger Americans across the political spectrum. That shift has coincided with an uptick in antisemitic crime and the mainstreaming of openly antisemitic rhetoric, as old stereotypes about Jewish people have begun resurfacing in a more serious way in public discourse.
New York City, in particular, has become something of a ground zero for the trend, with attacks occurring at synagogues and other incidents drawing widespread attention. Just weeks ago, a fake Israeli flag featuring a Star of David combined with two Nazi swastikas was briefly flown over Washington Square Park during a New York University graduation event.