NEW YORK — Tens of thousands are expected to march in New York City’s annual Israel parade on Sunday, although the march will not include one of its mainstay attendees — the city’s mayor.

The parade, called Israel Day on Fifth, sees Jewish groups march up Manhattan’s iconic Fifth Avenue. The event is a cornerstone of the area’s Jewish community, drawing in participants from around the city and the region.

City and state leaders are prominent attendees, and the city’s mayor has joined the parade for decades. That changed with Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a harsh critic of Israel who has identified as an anti-Zionist and took office in January.

Mamdani is a longtime supporter of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanction (BDS) movement targeting Israel, which bars any “normalization” with Israel.

Last year, Mamdani said, “I will not be attending the Israel Day Parade,” while adding, “I believe in equal rights for all people — everywhere.”

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Mamdani’s refusal to participate highlights his break with mainstream Jewish groups, in tensions that have continued to climb in recent weeks. The mainstream Jewish community had long enjoyed City Hall’s support, while Mamdani’s Jewish allies are to the left of the community’s center.


Former New York City mayor Eric Adams, center, attends the Israel Day on Fifth parade, June 2, 2024. (Luke Tress/Times of Israel)

Different communities in New York City hold annual celebratory marches, and the Israel parade serves as the de facto annual celebration for the Jewish community.

Mark Treyger, the head of the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York, the group that organizes the parade, said that, despite Mamdani’s refusal to participate, his administration has been cooperative.

City Hall is responsible for granting permits for parades. Treyger said that the Mamdani team, during its transition period, “made clear to us that they were going to grant permits for the parade and they saw no changes coming.”

The coordination with permits, the NYPD, and city agencies “has all been working smoothly,” Treyger said in an interview on Wednesday.


The head of the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York, Mark Treyger, speaks at the Israel Day on Fifth march, in New York City, May 18, 2025. (Luke Tress/Times of Israel)

“The overwhelming majority of people that come to the parade each year don’t go because of politicians. They go out of love and pride for their community, their heritage and their connection and love for Israel,” Treyger said. “This parade is bigger than any one politician, and that includes the mayor of New York.”

He applauded the police department’s security preparations, saying he had been in regular contact with NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch and that the police are “leaving no stone unturned to ensure a safe and successful parade.”

Treyger did not have a specific estimate for attendance, but said the event was “at capacity” with tens of thousands expected to march alongside dozens of floats. Last year, organizers estimated that 50,000 people attended.

“We’re expecting one of the biggest crowds ever,” Treyger said. “It’s a challenge to even accommodate more of the volume, and I think it’s a testament to the strength, the spirit and the resilience of the Jewish community.”


Israel Day on Fifth in New York City, May 18, 2025. (Luke Tress/Times of Israel)

The event “continues to take on a deeper meaning for our community in the aftermath of October 7th,” he said.

In addition to tensions with City Hall, the mainstream Jewish community is under pressure from factors including hate crimes, caustic street protests, antisemitic graffiti and anti-Zionist activity in universities and communal institutions.

This year’s event marks the 50th anniversary of the JCRC of New York. The parade is also supported by the UJA-Federation of New York.

Other New York leaders typically attend the parade, such as Governor Kathy Hochul, Attorney General Letitia James and Sen. Chuck Schumer.

Treyger said politicians typically do not confirm their attendance until shortly before the event, but that Hochul, James, and city leaders such as City Council Speaker Julie Menin and Comptroller Mark Levine are expected to attend. Hochul and her team have been “very supportive,” he said.


Israel Day on 5th in New York City, May 18, 2025. (Luke Tress/Times of Israel)

The Israeli consulate in New York said 11 Knesset members will be attending, led by Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana.

Parade organizers strive to keep the event apolitical, but the march tends to reflect Jewish communal concerns. In 2023, protesters on the sidelines of the parade, who were not marching in the event, heckled Israeli government representatives over the Netanyahu coalition’s judicial overhaul.

The past two years saw participants advocating for the release of the hostages in Gaza. At last year’s event, former captives’ and hostages’ families formed the spiritual center of the march.


Hostage advocates during the Israel Day on Fifth parade in New York City, May 18, 2025. (Luke Tress/Times of Israel)

Some Jews have questioned the parade’s focus on Israel, saying the framing politicizes the event and makes the march unnecessarily divisive.

An activist group of leftist Israelis in the city said it will protest against the visiting Israeli Knesset members.

Marching groups tend to include Jewish nonprofits, non-Jewish allies, dancing troupes, identity groups such as Russian-speaking Jews, and thousands of children from Jewish day schools.

Representatives of the American Muslim & Multifaith Women’s Empowerment Council are expected to attend this year, marking what appears to be the first time a Muslim group marches.

An Asian-American group, including City Councilmember Susan Zhuang, is also expected to attend. Zhuang is a Chinese-American representative from Brooklyn and a supporter of Israel who attended rallies for the Israeli hostages in Gaza before their release.

“We certainly very much appreciate allies and friends in this moment,” Treyger said.

This year’s theme is “Proud Americans, Proud Zionists.” The march begins on Sunday at 11:30 a.m. Spectators who are not marching can access the parade route via several entrances on Madison Avenue, and those not able to attend can view the parade on a livestream. Backpacks, large bags and some other items are not allowed in spectator areas due to security concerns.

The annual parade began in 1965 with an impromptu march by thousands of Zionist youth in support of Israel. JCRC-NY has managed the event since 2011.