Tens of thousands of marchers will fill Fifth Avenue on Sunday for the annual Israel Day on Fifth parade under what the New York Police Department is calling its most extensive security operation ever assembled for the event, as the city braces for a celebration unfolding without its sitting mayor for the first time in decades.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani, the city’s first Muslim mayor and a longtime anti-Israel agitator, is skipping the parade entirely, breaking a tradition that has drawn New York mayors of both parties to the route for generations. Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch, who is Jewish, will serve as an honorary grand marshal.

The split between City Hall and police headquarters has become the defining political backdrop of the parade, which runs from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. along Fifth Avenue under the theme “Proud Americans, Proud Zionists.”

Tisch, announcing the security plan at One Police Plaza last week, said the department is operating in a heightened threat environment driven by a surge in antisemitism since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel. The plan includes the largest heavy weapons team deployment in the parade’s history, expanded camera coverage along the route and comprehensive screening at every entry point.

“We are not messing around with security at this year’s parade,” Tisch said. Unauthorized persons entering the route will be arrested, she said, and pedestrians will be able to cross Fifth Avenue only at 51st, 59th and 79th streets while the march is underway.

The NYPD said it knows of no specific or credible threats against the event. Tisch cautioned that the absence of a known threat does not equal the absence of risk.

Mamdani appeared alongside Tisch at the security briefing but reiterated that he would not march, citing his opposition to the Israeli government and his campaign-trail pledge to stay away. He said his administration had been preparing for the parade for weeks and would coordinate with state and federal partners.

“I don’t believe that my presence as the mayor should determine whether or not a New Yorker is safe or secure,” Mamdani said. amNewYork

Since taking office in January, Mamdani has marched in the Lunar New Year parade and other civic processions, making his decision to sit out the Israel parade a pointed exception. Rep. Mike Lawler, a New York Republican, called the move shameful in a post on X. Israel’s consul general in New York, Ofir Akunis, urged Jewish New Yorkers and Israelis to turn out in force, framing this year’s parade as a stand against rising antisemitism fueled by political leaders in the city and abroad.

Mark Treyger, chief executive of the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York, which organizes the parade, said registration has hit capacity, with march requests still arriving. He has described the event as a sanctuary for Jewish New Yorkers in a city where antisemitic incidents continue to account for the bulk of reported hate crimes.

Tisch, asked at the briefing whether she was concerned about Mamdani’s absence, drew the contrast directly.

“It’s the mayor’s decision not to march, and it’s my decision to march, proudly.”

Double barricades went up along the route earlier in the week. Anti-Israel demonstrators are expected at points along Fifth Avenue, contained inside police pens as in past years. The NYPD said it would not tolerate disruptions to the march.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)