‘Made views on Israeli govt abundantly clear’: Zohran Mamdani becomes 1st NYC Mayor to skip Israel Day parade

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who is a supporter of Palestinian rights, skipped the annual parade honouring Israel on Sunday (May 31). This is the first time in 62 years of NYC history that a mayor has done so. The Israel Day parade, celebrating the birth of the Jewish state in 1948, organised on New York’s Fifth Avenue, has always been a must-attend event for mayors, governors, and political leaders wanting to gain the support of Jews.

“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," Mamdani said at a news conference on Thursday.

AP quoted Mamdani, NYC's first Muslim mayor, saying that he believes Israel has a right to exist but not as a hierarchy that favours Jewish citizens. However, Mamdani assured police presence at the event to ensure the event completes “seamlessly and peacefully".

Meanwhile, the city’s police commissioner, Jessica Tisch, who is Jewish, did attend the parade and said: “It is the mayor’s decision not to march, and it is my decision to march proudly".

Criticism floats

Mamdani's decision not to attend the event was heavily criticised. As per the AP, Rabbi Marc Schneier, founding senior rabbi of The Hampton Synagogue on Long Island and president of the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding, called Mamdani’s decision not to attend the parade “a slap in the face to all Jewish New Yorkers".