The New York City mayor refuses to attend the Israel parade and breaks a 62-year tradition

New York .- New York City Mayor, the social democrat Zohran Mamdani, refused this Thursday to attend the national parade of Israel that will be held next Sunday due to opposition to the government of that country, thus breaking a 62-year tradition. "I said during the (electoral) campaign that I would not attend the parade and I have made my ideas about the Israeli Government abundantly clear," Mamdani stated in a press conference to publicize the security measures that his administration will deploy during the event. "As the city's mayor, I take my responsibility to protect the safety and well-being of every New Yorker and every event seriously, regardless of my attendance," Mamdani asserted, accompanied by New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch. Tisch, who is Jewish, warned of "an environment of elevated threat" due to the "increase in antisemitism" worldwide, heightened after the US and Israel's war against Iran initiated three months ago, but clarified that "there are no serious or credible threats" for the day. The official said that the Police (NYPD) will deploy "the broadest security plan" for the Israel parade, with more officers and weaponized equipment than ever, surveillance with cameras and checks on attendees, vendors, participants and journalists.

The parade that has been going on for over 60 years

The Israel Day Parade has been held in New York since 1964 and is one of the most crowded ethnic events in New York, as the city and its metropolitan area host the largest Jewish population outside the Hebrew State, of more than a million people. Since its inception, and given the diplomatic ties between the U.S. and Israel, the city's mayors have attended the celebration, as well as numerous elected officials. When a journalist asked Mamdani if he would send a substitute to represent his administration at the event, Tisch pointed to herself with a smile. Mamdani, the first Muslim mayorn, has condemned the attacks by the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas on October 7, 2023, which triggered Israel's war against Gaza and the occupied Palestinian territories, and has denounced this as a "genocide" against the Palestinian population. The event this year carries the slogan "Proud Americans, Proud Zionists" and is expected to attract "tens of thousands" of attendees. According to local media, there are usually between 50,000 and 60,000, while New York's oldest and most crowded national parade is St. Patrick's, which celebrates the Irish heritage of the population and attracts about 150,000 attendees.