How can there be a parade to salute Israel in 2026?

JVL Introduction

On Sunday, New York will have its 62nd annual Israel Day Parade, which “draws tens of thousands of revelers annually, including local community groups and students”. Gideon Levy can hardly believe this is possible as is clear from his anger and bewilderment at the very idea of such an event taking place in New York – or anywhere else, especially not this year and not for this Israel.

For the first time in the history of this parade the city’s Mayor, Zohran Mamdani will not attend as he made clear during his election campaign. Of course, for this he has come under intense criticism as reported, for example in this New York Post piece, where it notes that Mamdani is even being accused by ” Jewish leaders…for turning the annual celebration political…” as though a Parade in support of Israel was not a political event! Some claim that it is “a celebration of religious identity…(coming) at a time when antisemitism continues to roil the city.” Rabbi Joseph Potasnik, executive director of the New York Board of Rabbis, said that “It’s not a policy parade. It’s a Jewish people parade” . 

Mamdani’s support for Jewish life and culture and Jewish safety is unequivocal. It is not Mamdani who is being antisemitic and it is precisely those like Rabbi Potasnik who insist on conflating Jews with Israel and criticism of Israel with antisemitism who contribute to fuelling the rise in antisemitism.

Levy, rather than question Mamdani’s boycott of the event, asks how it is possible for anyone to participate in a celebration of Israel after everything Israel has done to Gaza and to Lebanon.

LL

This article was originally published by Ha'aretz on Sun 24 May 2026. Read the original here.