CAIR, CAIR-NY Calls on NY Elected Officials to Apologize for Marching with Racists and War Criminals, Repudiate Israel’s Genocide
(NEW YORK, NY, 06/01/2026) - The New York chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NY), a chapter of the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today called on New York elected officials who participated in the Israel Day Parade to apologize for marching alongside extremist Israeli officials with records of racist, anti-Palestinian incitement and to publicly repudiate Israel’s genocide in Gaza, among other ongoing crimes against humanity.
SEE: Far-right Israeli Ministers Join Thousands at Israel Day Parade in New York – Haaretz
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich participated in the annual parade in New York City. He has faced widespread international condemnation for racist rhetoric, support for illegal settlements, and advocacy of genocidal policies targeting Palestinians civilians.
In 2024, CAIR said his call to “annihilate” cities and refugee camps in Gaza was evidence of Israel’s genocidal intent.
In a statement, Washington, D.C., based CAIR said:
“New York elected officials who chose to march in the Israel Parade alongside genocidal leaders like Bezalel Smotrich and ignore the Israeli government’s ongoing crimes against humanity should apologize to their constituents and to all people of conscience.
“Smotrich and other officials who attended this march have enacted racist and violent policies that would be unacceptable from any other public figure. Their participation in a public celebration American soil, and the willingness of American politicians to appear alongside them, helps normalize hatred, apartheid, ethnic cleansing, and genocide.
“New York officials who claim to support human rights, racial justice, and religious freedom cannot credibly stand with figures who have openly advocated the dispossession and dehumanization of Palestinians. Every elected official who participated in this event must repudiate Israel’s genocide in Gaza, renounce the racist ideology Smotrich represents, and apologize for validating it.”
CAIR has repeatedly condemned Smotrich’s racist and genocidal actions and rhetoric, most recently condemning his order for Israeli authorities to uproot 3,000 Palestinian trees in the occupied West Bank.
Last week, CAIR’s New York chapter called on public officials in New York City to condemn racist chants at a rally against Mayor Mamdani.
CAIR-NY's mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
La misión de CAIR-NY es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.
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CONTACT
Afaf Nasher, Esq. CAIR-NY Executive Director, ANasher@cair.com
CAIR-NY Communications Team, comms@ny.cair.com