"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"

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani will not attend an annual parade honoring Israel on Sunday, breaking with a decades-long political custom because of his

“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 said.

Mamdani is believed to be the first sitting mayor in more than six decades to skip the event for political reasons.

Mayors in New York City, which has Americas largest Jewish population, have long been visible supporters of Israel, often visiting the country.