Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s administration unveiled Tuesday what it calls the first-ever “whole-of-government” strategy to combat antisemitism, a plan it says includes “historic investments” in prevention, security, education, and other pillars that shape Jewish life.
The announcement comes less than a week after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blasted Mamdani on the world stage as “the antisemitic mayor of New York‘ in his United Nations General Assembly speech.
It also comes amid a double-digit spike in hate crimes across the city for the first eight months of the year. Half of those are anti-Jewish crimes.
Netanyahu and many in the city’s Jewish community allege that Mamdani’s sharp criticism of Israel and political messaging are fueling the increase
Mamdani’s administration has said the mayor wants every person in New York City to feel safe.
He calls Netanyahu “a war criminal.”
Back in mid-August, Mamdani held a roundtable with 10 local Rabbis to discuss what they thought he could or should do differently to ensure Jewish New Yorkers have a sense of security. It wasn’t immediately clear if, or how much, the plan released Tuesday stemmed from that summer summit.
It acknowledges the increase in antisemitic attacks — and its intent to fight them.
Among other measures, the plan includes:
- Funding: $6.4 million in Partners Against the Hate (P.A.T.H.) grants, doubling last year’s funding to community organizations like the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) that focus on hate crime prevention and survivor support. It also includes $1 million to strengthen the physical security of houses of worship.
- Security: Re-launches the once-disbanded interagency Security Infrastructure Working Group, providing technical and strategic support to cultural institutions seeking to strengthen their security.
- Education: The city will expand opportunities for students to visit the Museum of Jewish Heritage, helping more young New Yorkers learn about Jewish history, the Holocaust, and the stories of Jewish New Yorkers. Toward that end, the city is investing $2 million to complete the Queens Holocaust memorial and $2.5 million in the Center for New Jewish Culture in Central Brooklyn. It says it will also work with NYC schools to investigate bias or discrimination complaints against any student.
- Reporting: The administration will launch an awareness campaign around the city’s Human Rights Law and clarify how New Yorkers can report suspected discrimination to the City Commission on Human Rights (CCHR). The campaign will appear on LinkNYC and in other public spaces across the five boroughs.
“Antisemitism has no place in New York City,” Mamdani said in a statement. “Jewish New Yorkers have helped build this city, shaped its culture and strengthened our communities for generations, and they deserve to be safe, celebrated and protected by a city government that stands with them.”
The head of NYC’s Commission on Human Rights applauded the move.
“New York City belongs to all New Yorkers, no matter their faith, heritage, or identity,” said Christine Clarke, Commissioner and Chair of the NYC Commission on Human Rights said. “Anti-Jewish hate has no place here, and discrimination against Jewish New Yorkers in housing, employment, and public accommodations is illegal.”
A lot of eyes will be on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to the UN on Thursday. On Tuesday, he posted a video on social media saying he’d make at least part of the speech about his ongoing feud with NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani. What does Netanyahu plan to say about the mayor on the world stage? NBC New York’s Melissa Russo reports.
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