Democrats who marched in New York’s Israel Day parade decry attendance of far-right minister Smotrich

<p>Politicians who attended march seek to distance themselves from Smotrich, reflecting difficulty facing pro-Israel Democrats as voter support for country falls</p><ul><li><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2026/jun/02/donald-trump-primaries-midterms-california-governor-iran-latest-news-updates">US politics live – latest updates</a></p></li></ul><p>Several prominent New York <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/democrats">Democrats</a> who participated in the city’s annual Israel Day parade on Sunday have condemned the participation of Bezalel Smotrich, the far-right Israeli finance minister and a leading figure in the Israeli settler movement, in the event.</p><p>Smotrich was among several Israeli lawmakers and cabinet officials who marched in the parade on Sunday. His appearance marked his first trip to the US in <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/05/world/middleeast/smotrich-bessent-us-israel.html">more than a year</a>, and came less than month after he said the international criminal court (ICC) was <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/law/2026/may/19/far-right-israeli-minister-bezalel-smotrich-icc-seeking-arrest">seeking an arrest warrant</a> against him.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jun/02/new-york-israel-day-parade-democrats-smotrich">Continue reading...</a>