Democrats split on Israel parade as Schumer attends and Mamdani skips out

Chuck Schumer, the Senate minority leader, speaks at the Israel Day parade in New York on 31 May 2026. Photograph: Milo Hess/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock View image in fullscreen Chuck Schumer, the Senate minority leader, speaks at the Israel Day parade in New York on 31 May 2026. Photograph: Milo Hess/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock Democrats split on Israel parade as Schumer attends and Mamdani skips out New York mayor refused to attend as other Democrats drew rebukes for marching with Israel’s far-right finance minister As they’ve done for decades, prominent members of the Democratic party establishment marched on Sunday in New York City’s annual Israel Day parade. Perhaps more noteworthy, however, was who was missing. Zohran Mamdani, the mayor of New York City, refused to attend , citing his opposition to the Israeli government, which he has accused of committing genocide in Gaza. “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 reporters last week, stressing that public safety remained paramount and vowing a strong police presence. Storied New York food co-op votes to boycott Israeli products after contentious campaign Read more Mamdani is believed to be the first mayor to miss the parade since it began in 1964. Brad Lander, a Jewish politician and former New York comptroller now running for Congress , and the progressive groups Israelis For Peace and Jews for Racial and Economic Justice (JFREJ), also stayed away. Their stance contrasted with city police commissioner Jessica Tisch, who attended the event. She said: “It is the mayor’s decision not to march, and it is my decision to march proudly.” Other Democrats in attendance included New York senator Chuck Schumer, representatives Dan Goldman and Jerry Nadler, state governor Kathy Hochul, attorney general Letitia James, former mayors Eric Adams and Michael Bloomberg and ex-governor Andrew Cuomo. View image in fullscreen Letitia James, Kathy Hochul and city council speaker Julie Menin participate in annual Israeli Day parade in New York on 31 May 2026. Photograph: Lev Radin/Shutterstock Mamdani’s no-show angered some pro-Israel leaders, who have consistently opposed his leadership over his criticism of Israel. But defenders of the mayor noted that the parade was attended by Israel’s finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, a leading figure on the country’s nationalist right who vocally supports the ethnic cleansing of the occupied Palestinian territories. It was Smotrich’s first trip to the US since March last year and came nearly two weeks after he said the international criminal court is seeking an arrest warrant against him. Other Jewish groups lauded the mayor’s stance. “The Israel Day Parade, which features Israeli politicians who have not only cheered on the genocide of Palestinians, but are part of the government committing that genocide, is not a celebration of Jewish identity or pride,” JF