Mamdani, New York City’s first Muslim mayor, said he had made clear during his election campaign that he would not participate in the event, citing his criticism of the Israeli government and his support for Palestinian rights.”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 told a news conference on Thursday.

The annual parade along Fifth Avenue has traditionally drawn mayors, governors and senior elected officials seeking to engage with New York’s large Jewish community and commemorate the establishment of Israel in 1948.Despite his decision to stay away from the event, Mamdani said city authorities had spent weeks preparing security arrangements to ensure the parade proceeded safely.

“While I will not be attending, our administration has been preparing for weeks to ensure the parade is safe for all those who take part,” he said.New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said she would attend the parade, emphasizing that her decision was separate from that of the mayor.

“It is the mayor’s decision not to march, and it is my decision to march proudly,” Tisch told reporters.The decision has intensified criticism from some Jewish community leaders who argue that Mamdani’s positions on Israel have alienated Jewish New Yorkers.

Rabbi Marc Schneier, founding senior rabbi of The Hampton Synagogue and president of the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding, described the mayor’s absence as an affront to the city’s Jewish community.

The controversy follows the release of a mayoral video commemorating the Nakba, the Arabic term used to describe the displacement of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war that followed Israel’s creation.

The video featured the personal account of Inea Bushnaq, who described being displaced as a child and reflected on her connection to her homeland. The production marked what appeared to be the first formal recognition of the Nakba by a sitting New York City mayor.

Critics of the video argued that it omitted broader historical context, including the displacement of Jewish communities from several Muslim-majority countries and the impact of the Holocaust on support for the creation of a Jewish state.

The debate reflects broader shifts in American public opinion on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Support for Israel among some segments of the U.S. public has declined in recent years, a trend that has accelerated amid international scrutiny of Israel’s military operations in Gaza.Mamdani has maintained his support for Palestinian rights while stating that Israel has a right to exist.

He has also pledged to combat antisemitism and highlighted the work of New York City’s Office to Combat Antisemitism as part of his administration’s outreach to Jewish communities.

The mayor’s decision places him at odds with a political custom that has long been considered a fixture of New York public life, particularly in a city that is home to the largest Jewish population in the United States.