New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani won’t be attending the city’s annual Israel Day Parade on Sunday, a break from decades-long tradition, despite attending other events celebrating the city’s diverse cultural landscape.
Since 1964, every mayor in the city has attended the Jewish celebration, which comes amid record levels of antisemitism and weeks of anti-Israel demonstrations outside synagogues and Jewish communal institutions across New York.
Despite his absence, the mayor pledged to provide security and the necessary permits for the safety of those who will be participating.
Mamdani indicated that he would not attend as a matter of political principle. He has voiced frequent criticism of Israel following the Hamas Oct. 7, 2023, attack on the Jewish state and, upon taking office in January, scrapped an order that barred city agencies from participating in the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) campaign against Israel.
“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’s spokesman told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
“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,” the statement continued. “I’ve been very clear: I believe in equal rights for all people everywhere. That principle guides me consistently.”
Fox News Digital has reached out to the mayor’s office.
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Despite his stance against Israel, the mayor has participated in other celebrations, including this year’s St. Patrick’s Day celebration, during which he compared the historic plight of the Irish to the “genocide” in Palestine amid Israel’s war with Hamas.
At the city’s Lunar New Year Parade in March, Mamdani was in attendance with Gov. Kathy Hochul.
In June, New York will host the annual Puerto Rican Day Parade, one of the largest parades in the city. While the mayor hasn’t confirmed if he will attend this year’s event, he has a history of participating in the festivities.
He was in attendance in 2025 while on the campaign trail, as well as at the Pakistan Independence Day Mela in Brooklyn that same year. He also participated in the India Day Parade last year.
During his mayoral campaign, Mamdani said he would likely miss many parades, saying he wanted to focus on core issues instead.
Earlier this month, Mamdani, a Democratic Socialist, became the first NYC mayor in decades to address a May Day rally, also known as International Workers’ Day.
In October, the city’s Columbus Day Parade will make its way down Fifth Avenue. Last year, he chose to skip the event, which was ultimately canceled due to high winds — a decision that drew criticism from Italian-American advocacy groups, especially after a 2020 social media post resurfaced showing him giving the middle finger to a Columbus statue in Queens.
Fox News Digital’s Ariella Noveck contributed to this report.
