Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue will be awash in blue and white as the annual parade takes place under the slogan, “Proud Americans, Proud Zionists."
For the first time, the event is being boycotted by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who is identified with the more radical positions of the pro-Palestinian movement. At a press conference, Mamdani said his views regarding the Israeli government are “very clear," but argued that his absence would not affect the city’s commitment to the safety of parade participants.
In response to the mayor’s boycott, Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana made the unprecedented decision to personally lead, together with the Jewish Agency for Israel, the largest parliamentary delegation ever sent from Israel to the parade.
The delegation includes 12 members of Knesset from both the coalition and opposition, in an effort to present a display of unity and solidarity. Alongside the lawmakers, four senior ministers are representing Israel: Bezalel Smotrich, Yitzhak Wasserlauf, Ofir Sofer, and Amichai Eliyahu. They are joined by a delegation of approximately 50 Israeli mayors and local authority leaders.
“We intend to march together, coalition and opposition alike, alongside the Jews of New York with our heads held high and tell them: You are not alone," Ohana said. “The Knesset, the State of Israel, and the Jewish people march with you without fear, today and every day. Anyone who seeks to boycott our brothers and sisters, even if he sits in the mayor’s office, will discover-as all of Israel’s enemies throughout history have discovered-the greatness of this people."
Mamdani’s boycott has also created a public rift with the person actually responsible for securing the event: Jessica Tisch, Commissioner of the New York City Police Department.
Tisch, a member of one of New York’s most prominent Jewish families, will participate in the parade as one of its honorary leaders. When asked about the mayor’s decision to boycott the event, she replied: “It is the mayor’s decision not to march, and it is my decision to march."
Against the backdrop of a sharp increase in threats and antisemitic incidents in the city, Tisch announced what police describe as an unprecedented security deployment-the most extensive ever provided for this parade in New York history.
Thousands of police officers will be deployed throughout Manhattan, alongside specialized counterterrorism units, explosive-detection dog teams, drones, helicopters, and extensive security screening checkpoints along the entire parade route. Police emphasized that there is currently no specific threat, but that the level of alertness remains at its maximum.