The Israeli Parade and the Manufactured Cry of Antisemitism

Next Sunday, the Israeli Pride Parade will take place, a march that has been going on for decades in Manhattan. The common tradition associated with this political charade has been that local officials, including the Mayor, attend with Israeli flags to the chorus of approval from Israeli officials in New York.

This year, Mayor Mamdani has turned down the opportunity to attend this parade due to his well-known opposition to Zionism. As predicted, Israeli officials and Zionist enthusiasts have vociferously denounced the Mayor’s decision in a climate they claim is “ridden with antisemitism.”

It is interesting to note that this parade is sparsely attended by Jewish New Yorkers. There is not one recognized Rabbi leading an accepted Orthodox congregation who has urged their followers to attend this march. Jewish New Yorkers do not view parades for a foreign country as relevant to their identity as Jews.

But Zionists cannot afford that reality.

Israeli officials claim to hold profound concern for antisemitism, yet repeatedly use accusations of antisemitism as a political shield whenever Israel’s actions are criticized. They ceaselessly merge Jewish identity with Zionism and then cry crocodile tears when Jews are unfairly targeted. The Mayor’s principled decision to refuse attendance at a march he does not support is no different.

Israeli politicians are openly denigrating the Mayor, the elected representative of the largest Jewish community in the United States. The fact that this provocative rhetoric may cause tensions between our neighbors and innocent Jews is not their concern at all. Conversely, for Zionists, the greater the hyperbole, the greater the opportunity for Zionism to grow.

Israel needs antisemitism to thrive, otherwise its claim of being a Jewish safe haven loses its credence.

But the curtain has fallen. According to recent polls, support for Israel among U.S. Jews has drastically declined. They can add fuel to the fire and behave recklessly toward our Mayor, but it has zero effect on how we view him.

We remain grateful and steadfast in our loyalty to our country and city, no matter how much Zionist agitators try to disrupt our peace.