Key facts
- Mayor Zohran Mamdani unveiled a 33-page municipal strategy to combat antisemitism.
- The strategy includes increased security for synagogues and focus on Jewish history in public schools.
- Critics argue the plan omits any mention of Israel or Zionism, which they see as central to current antisemitic threats.
- A coalition of over 25 Jewish groups stated the plan "falls dangerously short" by sidestepping anti-Jewish harassment disguised as anti-Israel activism.
- The strategy mentions three different definitions of antisemitism but does not adopt a specific one.
- New York police reported a notable increase in anti-Jewish crimes since the October 7 Hamas attacks and the subsequent war in Gaza.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has launched the city's first municipal strategy to combat antisemitism, a 33-page plan that has quickly drawn criticism from a coalition of over 25 Jewish community groups. The groups argue that the strategy "falls dangerously short" by largely ignoring what they perceive as the primary threat: anti-Jewish harassment and violence that is "cloaked as anti-Israel activism."
Mamdani's plan, announced Tuesday, outlines measures such as enhanced security for synagogues and increased focus on Jewish history in public school education. However, critics pointed out the conspicuous absence of any mention of Israel or Zionism within the document. This omission is particularly contentious given Mamdani's past vocal support for Palestinians and his descriptions of Israel's actions in Gaza. His stance has previously divided New York's Jewish communities and led to accusations of fomenting the very antisemitism he aims to fight.
The strategy itself notes that "New York City can and will leverage all of the tools at its disposal to combat antisemitism effectively without needing to adopt a definition for this specific form of hate," mentioning three different definitions of antisemitism without endorsing one. The document acknowledges a "notable increase" in anti-Jewish crimes reported by the New York police in the three years since the October 7 Hamas attacks and the subsequent war in Gaza. While Jewish people constitute 12% of the city's population, antisemitic crimes account for over half of all hate crimes.
The coalition of Jewish organizations, including the New York City Public School Alliance and Bridgebuilders Grassroots Coalition, expressed their concerns in a letter to Phylisa Wisdom, executive director of the Mayor’s Office to Combat Antisemitism. They demanded a new plan that explicitly defines antisemitism and addresses anti-Zionist hatred, stating that "How can we solve a problem if we refuse to even acknowledge the cause?"
Rabbi Jill Jacobs, chief executive of T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights, offered a different perspective, stating the strategy "reflects the voices of the hundreds of Jewish New Yorkers consulted throughout the process" and commits "real city resources to fighting antisemitism wherever it appears."