00:00I said on the campaign trail that I wouldn't be attending the parade and I've made my views on the
00:05Israeli government abundantly clear.
00:07And I also said on that same campaign that I would have a responsibility as the mayor of the city.
00:31I'm just wondering if you have any concerns about the mayor not being at the parade. Thank you so much.
00:35You know, I said on the campaign trail that I wouldn't be attending the parade and I've made my views
00:41on the Israeli government abundantly clear.
00:44And I also said on that same campaign that I would have a responsibility as the mayor of the city
00:50to ensure the safety and security of each and every New Yorker.
00:53And I don't believe that my presence as the mayor should determine whether or not a New Yorker is safe
00:58or secure.
00:59That is something we take incredibly seriously.
01:01And what we also take seriously as an administration is to ensure that we are delivering.
01:08New York Mayor Zoran Mondani skips Israel Day Parade, sparking political firestorm.
01:14For the first time in more than 62 decades, New York City Mayor did not attend the annual Israel Day
01:21Parade,
01:22triggering sharp criticism from supporters of Israel and reigniting debate over the city's political direction.
01:29Mayor Zoran Mondani, who took office earlier this year, chose not to participate in the Israel Day Parade on Fifth
01:36Avenue in Manhattan,
01:37one of the largest pro-Israel events in the world.
01:41The parade, held annually since 1965, draws tens of thousands of participants and spectators,
01:48and is considered a major event for New York's Jewish community, the largest outside Israel.
01:54Mondani's absence was not a last-minute decision.
01:58During his mayoral campaign, and in the months leading up to the event,
02:01he repeatedly stated that he would not attend due to his long-standing criticism of the Israeli government
02:07and his support for Palestinian rights.
02:10Shortly before the parade, the mayor said he had made his views on the Israeli government abundantly clear
02:16and argued that his attendance should not determine whether New Yorkers feel safe or represented.
02:22But the decision immediately drew backlash.
02:25Critics accused Mondani of turning his back on a key New York community
02:29and breaking with decades of mayoral tradition.
02:32Several Jewish organizations and pro-Israel political figures condemned the move,
02:38with some calling it disrespectful and divisive.
02:41Adding to the political drama, former New York City mayor Mike Bloomberg joined the parade
02:46and marched alongside community leaders and public officials.
02:50Former mayor Adam Adams also attended.
02:53Bloomberg's participation was widely viewed as a symbolic counter-message to Mondani's boycott,
02:59with some observers describing it as a show of solidarity with New York's Jewish community.
03:04The parade itself drew more than 50,000 participants and spectators,
03:08under the theme, Proud Americans, Proud Zionists.
03:12New York Governor Kathy Hochul, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer,
03:16Attorney General Letitia James, Congressman Jerry Nadler,
03:20and numerous other elected officials took part in the event.
03:24Security was tight throughout the day, amid concerns about anti-Semitism
03:28and the possibility of demonstrations, but the parade proceeded peacefully.
03:32Some attendees carried cardboard cutouts of Mayor Mondani,
03:36highlighting the controversy surrounding his absence.
03:39Supporters of the mayor argue that his decision was consistent with positions he has held for years,
03:44and reflects his views on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
03:48Critics, however, say a mayor's role is to represent all communities,
03:52regardless of political disagreements,
03:54and argue that attending the parade would have demonstrated unity during a time of heightened tensions.
03:59The controversy underscores the growing political divide in New York and across the United States
04:05over Israel, Palestine, and the future of U.S. policy in the Middle East.
04:10While the parade concluded peacefully,
04:13the debate surrounding Mayor Mondani's absence is likely to continue well beyond Fifth Avenue,
04:18becoming another flashpoint in America's increasingly polarized conversation
04:22over the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
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