Zohran Mamdani

The great question facing both sides today is not whether disagreements exist between them, but whether they still see themselves as part of the same historical story.

Mayor Mamdani’s absence from a long-standing civic celebration left many Diaspora Jews feeling newly exposed in the city with the world’s largest Jewish population.

In New York City, thousands marched up Fifth Avenue to celebrate the Israel Day Parade. At the very same time, in Philadelphia, thousands gathered for the Adirei HaTorah celebration.

"The marchers on Fifth Avenue didn’t need Mamdani there to have a parade. But they needed him there to have a mayor. And on that count, the city came up short"

Smotrich’s surprise appearance at New York’s Israel Day Parade drew condemnation from city, state, and Jewish leaders, who said he was not invited to join the march.

Despite Mamdani’s absence, the event, known as the world's largest pro-Israel parade, featured a long roster of political officials and lawmakers.

The annual pre-parade Met Council breakfast included a demonstration by New York Gov. Kathy Hochul of state power that will better defend Jewish institutions from anti-Israel protests.

Mamdani's boycott came against the backdrop of a sharp rise in antisemitic incidents in New York and pushed Ohana to lead the large delegation of MKs.

The 'Jewish heritage' that is celebrated by progressives and New York’s mayor does not include the Jewish state.

Mamdani confirmed he would not be attending, making him the first NYC mayor not to participate since 1964. However, an X/Twitter post from the time showed he attended in 2024.