Kathy Hochul told Laura Loomer not to listen to 'voices inside her head' after the far-right provocateur claimed the New York governor wants cops to 'stand down' at an Israeli event.
Loomer claimed a source told her that Hochul and Mayor Zohran Mamdani are collaborating to ensure NYPD doesn't arrest protesters during this year's Israel Day Parade in Manhattan.
The annual parade, the world's largest public showing of support for Israel, is scheduled for the end of the month and will almost certainly attract pro-Palestine protestors.
In a social media post on Wednesday, Loomer said a source told her that Hochul 'is getting pressure to not attend this year.'
She added that 'Mamdani is telling his staff that if Jews don't have police present, they likely won't show up since Palestinian protestors have been encouraged to swarm the parade'.
Loomer went on to say that President Donald Trump, whom she still advises in an informal capacity, should send the National Guard to New York City to stop Mamdani from 'weaponizing the NYPD to help Palestinians carry out violence'.
The X account for Hochul reposted Loomer's comments with a retort.
'Lies. The voices inside your head don't count as sources,' she stated.
Mamdani has already been criticized for his decision not to attend the Israel Day Parade, though he made clear when he was running for mayor that he wouldn't attend every parade.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul insulted far-right political activist Laura Loomer, who claimed a source told her that Hochul and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani will order police officers to stand down for this year's Israel Parade in Manhattan
Hochul's press office told Loomer, a close ally to President Donald Trump, that 'the voices inside your head don't count as sources'
Mamdani, though he is not attending the Israel Parade at the end of the month, has said he will provide adequate security for the event
Assembly Member Michael Novakhov, a Republican who represents parts of Brooklyn, called Mamdani's decision not to show up a 'disgraceful insult to New York's Jewish community'.
'For decades, elected officials from both parties understood the importance of standing with New York's Jewish community at the Israel Day Parade,' Novakhov said in a statement.
'Zohran Mamdani is choosing to boycott this event because he is more interested in appeasing radical antisemitic extremists than standing with Jewish New Yorkers.'
Mamdani addressed this ahead of the November election, telling the Jewish Telegraph Agency: 'I look forward to joining - and hosting - many community events celebrating Jewish life in New York and the rich Jewish history and culture of our city.
'While I will not be attending the Israel Day Parade, my lack of attendance should not be mistaken for a refusal to provide security or the necessary permits for its safety.'
The parade, dubbed Israel Day on Fifth, will run from 11:30am to 4pm along Fifth Avenue from 62nd to 74th streets.
The tagline for the event is 'Proud Americans, Proud Zionists', according to the website.
Pictured: Pro-Palestinian protestors rally against an Israeli event at Young Israel Synagogue of Midwood, Brooklyn, on Monday
Pictured: Participants march with Israeli flags in the 2018 Israel Parade. It was the 70th anniversary of the nation's founding in 1948
Mamdani has sought to reassure Jewish New Yorkers that he will take hate crimes against their community seriously
Mamdani, who supports Palestinian rights, has strongly criticized Israel for carrying out a 'genocidal war' in Gaza after the October 7 attacks in which 1,200 civilians were killed.
Some 72,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli strikes since October 7, 2023, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
On several occasions, Mamdani has vowed to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for alleged war crimes, honoring the warrant that was issued by the International Criminal Court in November 2024.
Hochul has said Mamdani does not have the power to do this. Federal law strictly prohibits local or state governments from enforcing ICC warrants.
Despite Mamdani's criticism of Israel, he has sought to assuage the fears of Jewish New Yorkers by saying his administration will take antisemitism seriously.
This week, he said the city's Office to Prevent Hate Crimes should receive a $26 million budget, representing a 866 percent increase from the current $3 million.
The Anti-Defamation League, a Jewish advocacy organization that has targeted Mamdani in the past, praised the mayor for this move in a rare show of support.
'Jews in New York City last year were targeted in more hate crimes than all other groups combined. We welcome Mayor Mamdani's proposed 866% increase in funding for the Office to Prevent Hate Crimes and look forward to more concrete proposals to keep the Jewish community and all New Yorkers safe,' the ADL said in a social media post.