The annual Salute to Israel Parade on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan will take place this year, for the first time since 1964, without the participation of New York City’s mayor - the city that is home to the largest Jewish community outside Israel.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani officially confirmed that he will not participate in the parade, which will be held on Sunday. As a result, this year’s event is expected to see a record number of participants, along with an unprecedented presence of Israeli public officials traveling especially for this event from Israel.

Mamdani is the first Muslim mayor in the city’s history. He supports the BDS movement and previously stated that he would instruct the New York Police Department to arrest Benjamin Netanyahu if he came to the city, based on warrants issued by the International Criminal Court.

The Salute to Israel Parade, held annually since 1964, has become a central tradition in New York City. As part of the event, Jewish residents of the city march together along Fifth Avenue alongside allies from all backgrounds and faiths, with the aim of expressing love, solidarity, and support for Israel, its people, and its culture.

Among those expected to participate this year are New York Governor Kathy Hochul, city public officials, as well as delegations and public figures from Israel. Organizers say the event is not only the world’s largest display of support for Israel, but also the biggest annual event of New York Jewry - and perhaps of Diaspora Jewry as a whole - a community numbering approximately 2 million people.

“Unfortunately, New York City’s new mayor is not acting as a unifying and calming force, but as a figure who fuels disputes and deepens divisions among residents. Instead of strengthening the sense of unity and stability in the city, he contributes to escalating tensions and encouraging conflict, while rejecting a cornerstone of our heritage - the State of Israel as the homeland of the Jewish people," said Eric Goldstein, CEO of the UJA-Federation of New York.

It should be noted that Mamdani’s wife is also known for her strong positions against Israel and the Jewish people. She previously wrote that “Tel Aviv should not have existed in the first place." In addition, she praised Palestinian “freedom fighters" and commended the activities of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.

In another post, she shared an antisemitic article by a pro-Palestinian activist who described Jews as “cockroaches" and “parasites."

In other posts, she used the racial slur “n****r." She also previously “liked" a post claiming that allegations of rape on October 7 were largely a hoax. Dawaji’s posts were published by the conservative media outlet Free Beacon.