Eric Goldstein, the CEO of the UJA-Federation of New York, on Friday issued a scathing open letter to New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, criticizing Mamdani’s decision to boycott Sunday’s Israel Day on Fifth parade.
Goldstein opened the message by reflecting on how the annual event, once an apolitical tribute to a young nation's achievements, has shifted over the last two years into a somber reflection on the trauma of October 7, the ongoing war, and the plight of the hostages. This year, however, Goldstein noted the event has taken on a new domestic urgency for a Jewish community that feels increasingly targeted and isolated.
Addressing Mayor Mamdani directly, Goldstein leveled a historic charge against the city's leadership.
“You are the first mayor in the history of New York City - home to the largest Jewish diaspora community in the world - to refuse to participate in this parade because you fundamentally reject Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state," Goldstein wrote.
The UJA-Federation chief emphasized that the organization does not seek to silence open debate regarding Israeli government actions or its borders. However, he argued that Mamdani’s boycott does not stem from standard political disagreement, but rather from an opposition to Israel's very founding in 1948.
“To be clear, your refusal to participate this Sunday is not principally grounded in criticism of a particular Israeli government or policy, whether related to the current situation in Gaza, the West Bank, the 1967 borders, or any other matter that can and should be openly debated," Goldstein stated. “Your refusal is rooted in your opposition to Israel’s very establishment as a Jewish and democratic state in 1948 - in a refusal to acknowledge the right of the Jewish people to self-determination in their ancestral homeland."
The letter characterized the parade boycott as part of a broader, continuous pattern of incendiary rhetoric from the mayor's office. Goldstein pointed to a Nakba Day video recently published by Mamdani, calling it a "grossly one-sided narrative" that omitted the 1948 Arab-initiated war, the rejection of the UN partition plan, and the violent expulsion of Jews from Arab countries. Goldstein explicitly linked such narratives to real-world threats, noting that on the day the video was uploaded, a planned terror attack by an Iraqi national targeting a New York City synagogue was thwarted.
“Mr. Mayor, you cannot close your eyes to the deadly impact of this incendiary rhetoric that is playing out in Jewish communities across the world, from Bondi Beach to Boulder to Washington, D.C.," Goldstein warned.
Despite the political friction, Goldstein expressed gratitude to the NYPD and Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch for securing the event, while affirming that the Jewish community would remain deeply engaged in supporting New York City's social safety net through millions of dollars in non-sectarian charitable spending.
He concluded by promising that tens of thousands of diverse New Yorkers would still march proudly on Sunday to support the vital importance of a Jewish and democratic homeland.
“Your absence - and what it represents - will be long-remembered," Goldstein concluded. “But so, too, will our resilience and our enduring love for both Israel and New York City."
Mamdani on Thursday defended his decision to skip the Israel Day parade, but emphasized that his team "prioritizes public safety at mass gatherings throughout the five boroughs, regardless of my attendance."
The refusal to attend Sunday’s parade is the latest in a series of anti-Israel steps taken by Mamdani. During his election campaign, Mamdani refused to disavow the phrase “globalize the intifada". He was also called out for criticizing Israel on October 8, 2023 - just one day after the Hamas massacre in southern Israel.
He has repeatedly accused Israel of war crimes in its battle against Hamas in Gaza, and has vowed to arrest Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he visits New York City.
Mamdani then caused an uproar on his first day in office when he cancelled executive orders related to Israel, which were issued by his predecessor, Eric Adams.
The move cancelled an order signed by Adams in June of 2025 formally recognizing the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism.
Another executive order which was cancelled prohibited mayoral appointees and agency staff from boycotting and disinvesting from Israel.
Mamdani has faced multiple antisemitism controversies since taking office. A recent report indicated that Mamdani's wife, Rama Dawaji, liked several social media posts that praised or appeared supportive of Hamas’s October 7, 2023, massacre.
(Israel National News' North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Israel National News articles, however, is Israeli time.)