In brief
NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced that he would not attend the annual Israel Day parade on Fifth Avenue this Sunday—a move that breaks a long-standing tradition for mayors and governors who usually march to show support for Israel. The decision comes after the mayor’s office released a video honoring the Nakba, the Arabic term for the displacement of roughly 700,000 Palestinians during the 1948 Arab‑Israeli war, and addressing perceived gaps in the narrative about Jewish displacement during that period. While Mamdani promises a robust police presence to keep the parade safe, the police commissioner—who is Jewish—vaunted her intent to attend proudly. Jewish community leaders, including Rabbi Marc Schneier, condemned the mayor’s stance as a “slap in the face” to Jewish New Yorkers and dismissed the Nakba video as propaganda. Mamdani, who insists Israel has a right to exist but should not operate as a hierarchy that favors one group over another, remains a pro‑Palestinian advocate while pledging to protect Jewish residents and emphasize the city’s Office to Combat Antisemitism.
NEW YORK (AP) — New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani will skip the annual Israel Day parade on Fifth Avenue this Sunday, a break from a tradition that has seen most mayors and governors attend to rally support for the Jewish state.While the parade has evolved in name, it grew up as a ceremonial show of solidarity for Israel’s founding. Mamdani’s choice reflects his long‑standing support for Palestinian rights and his recent release of a video celebrating the Nakba—the Arabic term for the displacement of roughly 700,000 Palestinians in the wake of Israel’s establishment.During a Thursday news conference, Mamdani reaffirmed his stance and promised a heavy police presence to keep the event “seamlessly and peacefully.” He said: “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 city’s police commissioner, Jessica Tisch, who is Jewish, pledged to attend “proudly,” standing beside Mamdani at police headquarters.The mayor’s absence intensified criticism from Jewish leaders, who view his remarks as antisemitic. Rabbi Marc Schneier of The Hampton Synagogue slammed Mamdani’s decision as a “slap in the face to all Jewish New Yorkers.” Schneier condemned the Nakba video as “propaganda,” arguing it neglects the displacement of Jews from Muslim‑majority countries and underplays the Holocaust’s impact on the birth of Israel.The video, unique as the first such acknowledgment from a sitting NYC mayor, featured the story of a woman who was displaced at age nine, interspersed with text describing the Nakba. “It’s the soft hills of Palestine that actually touched me,” the woman, Inea Bushnaq, said.Supporters of Israel demanded the video also include acknowledgment of Jewish displacement and the Holocaust. Mamdani, the city’s first Muslim mayor, has repeatedly stated that Israel is legitimate but opposes its hierarchical treatment of citizens. He pledged to protect Jewish New Yorkers while highlighting the Office to Combat Antisemitism.In a city with America’s largest Jewish population, Mamdani’s decision has sparked debate over how political leaders balance advocacy for Palestinian rights with ongoing support for Israel, underscoring a shifting landscape in American attitudes toward the Israeli‑Palestinian conflict.
