New York’s mayor does not have to agree with every Israeli government policy to march in the Israel Day Parade. But when he refuses to stand with Jewish New Yorkers at one of their most visible public celebrations, he confirms exactly what many in the community have feared.

There are moments in public life when symbolism is not “just symbolism.” It is the message.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s decision to boycott New York City’s Israel Day Parade is one of those moments.

The annual march up Fifth Avenue is not a cabinet meeting in Jerusalem. It is not a referendum on this or that Israeli prime minister. It is not a vote on settlements, judicial reform, Gaza policy or any of the other issues over which Jews themselves argue passionately, loudly and often.

It is, instead, a public affirmation that New York’s Jewish community belongs in the heart of the city, and that its connection to Israel is not some embarrassing private hobby to be hidden from view.

That is why the mayor’s absence matters.

Mamdani and his defenders will no doubt say that he supports Jewish safety, opposes antisemitism and distinguishes between Jews and the policies of the Israeli government. That is the standard explanation now offered by many politicians whose hostility toward Israel makes large numbers of Jews understandably nervous.

But that explanation does not answer the question. It avoids it.

The question is not whether a mayor may criticize Israel. Of course he may. Israelis criticize Israel every day. American Jews criticize Israel every day. The Jewish people........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)