In New York, refusing to show up at a parade became front-page political news. Mayor Zohran Mamdani - the city's first Muslim mayor - decided not to take part in the traditional parade dedicated to Israel, breaking a political practice more than three decades old.

For decades, New York's mayors, governors and other officials treated attendance at this parade on Fifth Avenue as an almost mandatory ritual - a way to win the favor of the thousands present. Mamdani not only broke the custom, he announced it in advance: "During my campaign I said I wouldn't take part in the parade, and I laid out my views on the Israeli government clearly."

Two weeks earlier, his office released a video about the Nakba - the Palestinian term for the displacement of around 700,000 people during the Arab-Israeli conflict of 1948. That stoked the fire even before the parade. The reaction from part of the Jewish community was sharp: Rabbi Marc Schneier called the move "a slap in the face to every Jew in New York" and added: "Do us a favor and stay home. We don't need you. We don't want you."

Mamdani, who holds pro-Palestinian positions while at the same time recognizing Israel's right to exist, promised to protect the city's Jewish residents and highlighted his efforts against antisemitism. But in a polarized political climate, nuance rarely survives - the statement gets reduced to "for" or "against," and the space in between disappears.

For the Balkan reader, who knows well how identity and symbolism can dominate any political debate, the story is recognizable. When one absence from a parade becomes a headline, the question isn't only about Mamdani - it's about how much politics is still waged through symbols instead of deeds. Was showing up at a parade ever about values, or has it always been about votes?