NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani Boycotts Annual Israel Day Parade

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani boycotted the annual Israel Day Parade on May 31, 2026, breaking a 61-year tradition of mayoral attendance. The city's first Muslim mayor cited a campaign pledge and his opposition to the Israeli government's military actions in Gaza and the occupied Palestinian territories as the reasons for his absence. To mark his stance, his office released a video commemorating the Nakba, which critics denounced as propaganda.

In response to the boycott, Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana led a record delegation of 13 Israeli lawmakers to the event to demonstrate unity. Other high-ranking officials, including Governor Kathy Hochul and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, attended to show solidarity with the Jewish community. NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch also marched as an honorary leader, stating it was her personal decision to do so despite the mayor's absence.

The event took place under unprecedented security, with the NYPD deploying counterterrorism units, drones, and helicopters. During a pre-parade breakfast, Governor Hochul signed a statewide law establishing 50-foot security buffer zones around houses of worship to protect against protests. While Mamdani maintained that his absence should not be mistaken for a refusal to provide security or permits, Jewish leaders and political opponents characterized the move as an antisemitic affront and a disgraceful ideological assertion.