As they’ve done for decades, prominent members of the Democratic party establishment marched on Sunday in New York City’s annual Israel Day parade. Perhaps more noteworthy, however, was who was missing.

Zohran Mamdani, the mayor of New York City, refused to attend, citing his opposition to the Israeli government, which he has accused of committing genocide in Gaza.

“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 told reporters last week, stressing that public safety remained paramount and vowing a strong police presence.

Mamdani is believed to be the first mayor to miss the parade since it began in 1964. Brad Lander, a Jewish politician and former New York comptroller now running for Congress, and the progressive groups Israelis For Peace and Jews for Racial and Economic Justice (JFREJ), also stayed away.

Their stance contrasted with city police commissioner Jessica Tisch, who attended the event. She said: “It is the mayor’s decision not to march, and it is my decision to march proudly.”

Other Democrats in attendance included New York senator Chuck Schumer, representatives Dan Goldman and Jerry Nadler, state governor Kathy Hochul, attorney general Letitia James, former mayors Eric Adams and Michael Bloomberg and ex-governor Andrew Cuomo.

Mamdani’s no-show angered some pro-Israel leaders, who have consistently opposed his leadership over his criticism of Israel. But defenders of the mayor noted that the parade was attended by Israel’s finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, a leading figure on the country’s nationalist right who vocally supports the ethnic cleansing of the occupied Palestinian territories. It was Smotrich’s first trip to the US since March last year and came nearly two weeks after he said the international criminal court is seeking an arrest warrant against him.

Other Jewish groups lauded the mayor’s stance. “The Israel Day Parade, which features Israeli politicians who have not only cheered on the genocide of Palestinians, but are part of the government committing that genocide, is not a celebration of Jewish identity or pride,” JFREJ posted on X. “@NYCMayor knows this. We’re grateful he is not attending.”

Ben Rhodes, who was deputy national security adviser under Barack Obama, posted on X: “Why is it controversial for Zohran to skip a parade bc of his principles but not for Democratic politicians to march with a fascist bigot like Smotrich?”

But Jonathan Greenblatt, chief executive of the pro-Israel Anti-Defamation League, wrote in the Times of Israel online newspaper on Monday: “His absence wasn’t the result of some kind of scheduling conflict. It was an ideological assertion and a disgraceful one.”

The New York Post newspaper, owned by the media magnate Rupert Murdoch, ran a front page photo of Mamdani riding a bike with the headline: “Cycle of hate. Zo snubs Israel parade, goes on bike ride instead.”

The parade came weeks after New York’s city hall released a video commemorating the Nakba – the Arabic term meaning “catastrophe”, used by Palestinians to describe the displacement of an estimated 700,000 people during the 1948 war surrounding Israel’s creation.

The video featured Inea Bushnaq, who recalled being forced from her home as a nine-year-old child and spoke of a lifelong sense of exile. She said: “I’ve lived in different places, and I’ve always been an outsider.”

Supporters of Israel accused city hall of presenting a one-sided account of history, arguing that any official commemoration should also acknowledge the experiences of Jewish refugees and the broader context of the conflict.

The disputes highlight the changing politics of a city that is home to the biggest Jewish population in the US. Previous mayors have generally positioned themselves as staunch supporters of Israel and frequently travelled to the country.

Yet public attitudes have shifted sharply in recent years, particularly amid mounting criticism of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. A survey by Pew Research, released in April, found that six in 10 Americans have a very or somewhat unfavorable view of Israel, up seven percentage points since last year and nearly 20 points since 2022.

Mamdani has emerged as one of the most prominent elected officials reflecting that change, maintaining a strongly pro-Palestinian stance while insisting that he supports Israel’s right to exist as a state that guarantees equal rights. The mayor has pledged to honor an ICC warrant by arresting Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he visits New York.