For First Time, Muslim Group to March in New York’s Israel Parade
New York City is set to witness a historic moment in the 61-year history of the annual Israel Day Parade. For the first time, a Muslim-led group will march alongside Jewish organizations, day schools, yeshivas and thousands of supporters of Israel on Fifth Avenue.
This month, a notable chapter in American interfaith relations is expected to unfold on the streets of Manhattan as a Muslim-led delegation publicly expresses its support for Israel during the Celebrate Israel Parade, one of New York City’s most prominent annual events.
Dr. Anila Ali — Pakistan-born founder, board chair, and president of the American Muslim & Multifaith Women’s Empowerment Council (AMMWEC) — intends to lead a contingent of approximately 30 people through the iconic route alongside Central Park on May 31, 2026, for the parade’s 62nd edition. The development was first reported by Debra Nussbaum Cohen in an exclusive interview for JNS.org.
I want to walk with my Jewish Israeli American friends
To celebrate Israel’s independent Day in New York@ammweccoalition @ammwecofficial @ZebunnesaZeba @FarhanaKhorshed@wajidasyed @imranigra @JNS_orgExclusive: For first time, Muslim group slated to march in Israel on…
— Anila Ali (@anilaali) May 15, 2026
The decision carries profound symbolism at a moment when anti-Israel protesters have been disrupting Jewish neighborhoods and sowing fear in communities across the country. Dr. Ali was direct in her message: those voices do not represent all Muslims. She and many others stand with the Jewish community and with Israel’s right to exist.
After 9/11, the first faith community that reached out to us were the Jewish people. Now, at a time when Jewish people are being targeted by antisemitic protesters, we want to return that support.
— Dr. Anila Ali, Founder & CEO, AMMWEC
Anila Ali recalled the bonds forged between Muslim and Jewish Americans in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks — when nearly 3,000 lives were lost to Islamist terrorism and Muslims across America feared backlash and retaliation. It was the Jewish community that stepped forward first.
“As the largest Muslim women’s civil rights organization standing against bigotry within and without, we had a very close relationship based on trust that we shared common heritage,” she told JNS. That relationship, built in crisis, now inspires a public act of solidarity.
The event, officially organized by the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York, celebrates the 62nd edition of the renowned Israel Day on Fifth Parade, which is one of the largest public gatherings in support of Israel worldwide.
This year’s theme, “Proud Americans, Proud Zionists,” comes at a time when tensions are rising over antisemitism, extremism, and ongoing debates about Israel’s legitimacy.
A lot of people are afraid, but we are not.
— Dr. Anila Ali, when asked about potential backlash for marching
That statement resonates beyond Fifth Avenue.
Across universities, activist circles, and social media ecosystems, many moderate Muslim voices have increasingly found themselves pressured into silence whenever they express support for Jewish communities, condemn terrorism unequivocally, or acknowledge Israel’s right to exist.
Ali’s decision breaks that silence publicly.
It also exposes a reality often ignored in simplistic media narratives: many Muslims oppose extremism, reject antisemitism, and support interfaith cooperation, even if their voices receive less attention than louder ideological factions.
The parade will also mark an unprecedented absence. For the first time in recent memory, New York City’s mayor will not participate. Mayor Zohran Mamdani — the city’s first Muslim mayor, sworn into office on January 1, 2026 — has made clear since his college years that he does not believe the State of Israel has a right to exist.
Zohran Mamdani has officially confirmed that he will boycott New York City’s Israel Day Parade — becoming the face of a Democratic Party now controlled by radical anti-Israel extremists.
After weeks of antisemitic chaos outside synagogues across our city, this should surprise… pic.twitter.com/rhKZzxZPU0
— Michael Novakhov (@MichaelforNY) May 13, 2026
New York City is home to approximately 1 million Jewish residents — the largest Jewish population of any city outside Israel. The Israel Day Parade, organized annually by the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York (JCRC-NY), is one of the largest pro-Israel public gatherings in the world.
Immediately upon being sworn in, Mayor Mamdani revoked many of his predecessor’s executive orders, including those providing legal protections against antisemitism and anti-Zionism — a move that drew sharp criticism from Jewish community leaders and civil rights advocates.
Love it!
Ugandan mayor @NYCMayor https://t.co/sYio9UHX6a— Anila Ali (@anilaali) May 14, 2026
Sources at JCRC-NY, as a matter of security policy, do not comment on participating groups or confirm historical precedents for participation by any community.
AMMWEC’s engagement is far from a mere token gesture. The organization has consistently positioned itself against religious extremism, terrorism, and antisemitism. It has organized interfaith initiatives, participated in delegations to Israel, and publicly condemned acts of terror, including Hamas atrocities committed during the October 7, 2023 attacks.
That consistency matters. In an age when moral clarity is often sacrificed for ideological convenience, organizations willing to confront hatred regardless of its source become increasingly rare.
The Celebrate Israel Parade has long symbolized Jewish pride, American pluralism, and support for Israel’s existence. This year, however, it may come to symbolize something broader: the possibility that coalitions of moderation can still emerge in democratic societies fractured by polarization.
The image of Muslim women marching beside Jewish organizations on Fifth Avenue sends a message extremists on all sides dislike: coexistence is still alive.
For years, radicals have tried to convince both Muslims and Jews that they are natural enemies. But history repeatedly shows that civilizations are strongest not when communities isolate themselves in fear, but when they defend each other’s dignity in moments of pressure.
On May 31, that principle will march through the heart of Manhattan.
And the world will be watching.
