New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani will not attend Sunday’s Israel Day Parade, becoming the first New York City mayor in history to skip the event, despite regularly participating in other cultural celebrations throughout the city.

The parade comes at a time of record antisemitism in New York and follows weeks of anti-Israel protests outside synagogues and Jewish communal institutions.

Mamdani, a vocal critic of Israel, has previously attended events including the St. Patrick’s Day celebration, where he compared the historic suffering of the Irish people to what he described as a “genocide” in Palestine. He has also participated in the Puerto Rican Day Parade, the Pakistan Independence Day Mela in Brooklyn, and the India Day Parade.

“I said on the campaign trail that I wouldn’t be attending the parade, and I’ve made my views on the Israeli government abundantly clear,” Mamdani said this week.

In sharp contrast, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch will serve as a grand marshal of the parade and says she will proudly participate.

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

Despite no known credible threats against the parade, the NYPD is implementing what Tisch described as the most extensive security operation in the event’s history.

“Included in that security plan will be the most heavy weapons teams ever, robust camera coverage of the area, and comprehensive screening of everyone entering the parade route,” Tisch said.