The NYPD commissioner told reporters that the city plans to protect attendees with emergency units, counterterrorism teams, a bomb squad and helicopters and drones.
This Israel Day Parade is produced by the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York.
By Vita Fellig, JNS
New York City is increasing security ahead of Sunday’s Israel Day Parade, with street closures, screening checkpoints and specialized police teams set to monitor activity along the parade route, according to a security briefing at police headquarters in Manhattan.
Jessica Tisch, commissioner of the New York City Police Department, said at the Friday morning security briefing that, in preparation for Sunday’s parade, the section of Fifth Avenue from 52nd to 78th Streets will be closed starting at 7:30 a.m. Designated screening entry points will be located on the East Side at 61st, 63rd, 66th, 70th and 73rd Streets, accessible from Madison Avenue.
“Everyone has a right to express their views peacefully, but no one has a right to engage in criminal activity, and we will not tolerate any attempts to disrupt this event or endanger those who come to celebrate,” she said. “The NYPD has been preparing for this event for months.”
A comprehensive security plan includes specialized emergency units, counterterrorism teams, a bomb squad and NYPD helicopters and drones providing aerial coverage, according to Tisch.
“This year’s parade comes at a time of heightened tension around the world and here at home,” she said. “Since the Oct. 7 attacks, there has been a notable increase in demonstrations and deeply personal emotions on all sides of the conflict, and we’ve also seen an unacceptable uptick in antisemitic threats and rhetoric.”
New York City Mayor Eric Adams said at the briefing that this will be the second major parade since Oct. 7. He told reporters that this is also the second time that there have been calls to scrap the parade over security concerns.
“We refuse to ever succumb to those who want to have this city live in fear,” he said. “We want to ensure we have a safe acknowledgement of Israel’s Independence Day on Sunday.”
Adams told JNS that while the NYPD is not currently expecting counter-protesters on Sunday, the department is prepared to handle anything that may arise.
Rebecca Weiner, the deputy NYPD commissioner of intelligence and counterterrorism, and her team “are always looking for any intel that would disrupt any event in the city,” he told JNS. “So it is not our prediction. It is our preparation.”
“If we practice, we’re always ready,” he told JNS.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams and New York City Police Department Commissioner Jessica Tisch discuss security ahead of the Israel Day on Fifth parade at One Police Plaza, May 16., 2025. Credit: Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office.
Even when sporadic protests emerge, the city is able to carry on with its activities, and Sunday should be no different, according to the mayor.
“We will be prepared, and that’s why we are creating an environment where we can inspect who’s coming into the parade site, how we’re gonna control the flow of people and ensure that we have proper deployment of personnel if there’s any form of disruption,” Adams told JNS.