City Council Speaker Julie Menin rolled out a wave of initiatives to combat antisemitism Friday — potentially putting her at odds with Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
Menin, the council’s first Jewish speaker, unveiled a five-point legislative plan, including establishing safety perimeters around houses of worship during protests and boosting security for private schools.
“I make no apology about insisting on a proportionate response to the disproportionate discrimination against our Jewish community,” she said from the Museum of Jewish Heritage in Manhattan.
City Council Speaker Julie Menin rolled out a five-point legislative plan to help combat antisemitism in NYC, including establishing safety perimeters around houses of worship during protests. Michael Nigro for NY Post
The proposed legislation comes amid rising concerns in the Jewish community after Mamdani on his first day in office ended executive orders from Mayor Eric Adams’ administration that focused on fighting antisemitism and supporting Israel.
The orders adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of antisemitism and barred city officials from boycotting or divesting from Israel.
The two revoked measures were part of a slew of orders issued by Adams after he was indicted on federal charges in 2024 that Mamdani reversed.
The Democratic socialist Hizzoner has faced questions and outright criticism over his anti-Israel stance, including accusing the Jewish state of “genocide” in Gaza following the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas terror attack.
He’s also faced heat for not forcefully decrying language used by protesters during roiling demonstrations in the city, including “globalize the intifada.”
Menin, who is a Zionist, said the safety perimeters at houses of worship, as well as schools, were meant to stop harassment and intimidation of worshippers or students entering or leaving those buildings during protests while also upholding demonstrators’ rights.
Zohran Mamdani speaking at a Within Our Lifetime Palestine Protest in front of a sign that says “There is only one solution: Intifada revolution,” in a video posted to Instagram on May 12, 2021. Instagram/@zohrankmamdani
While Gov. Kathy Hochul has pushed similar state legislation that would establish a 25-foot buffer zone, Menin told the New York Times she is aiming at possibly a 100-foot perimeter.
“The legislation establishing a safe perimeter around schools and houses of worship is being drafted, and we will have more to share in the future,” Menin’s spokesperson told The Post on Friday.
“Speaker Menin had a productive conversation with Mayor Mamdani on this initiative,” the rep said in a statement. “She intends to continue working with the Administration as this plan moves forward.”
“I make no apology about insisting on a proportionate response to the disproportionate discrimination against our Jewish community,” Menin said from the Museum of Jewish Heritage in Manhattan. Derek French/SOPA Images/Shutterstock
She said the proposed protest perimeter law was not an attempt to stifle peaceful protest.
“What we are trying to do is protect congregants for any house of worship of freely being able to enter and exit without fear of intimidation and harassment,” Menin, who is the daughter and granddaughter to Holocaust survivors, told the Times.
Mamdani, who pointedly did not applaud when Hochul brought up the 25-foot protest buffer zone bill at her State of the State speech Tuesday, has yet to publicly weigh in.
The mayor’s office said in a statement Friday that Mamdani was waiting until the city Law Department finishes reviewing the “legality” of the proposal.
On his first day in office, Mamdani ended executive orders from Mayor Adams‘ administration that focused on fighting antisemitism and supporting Israel. John Angelillo/UPI/Shutterstock
“The Mayor is committed to fighting antisemitism, and ensuring that New Yorkers continue to be able to worship freely as well as exercise their First Amendment rights,” a spokesperson said.
“On the first day of his administration, the Mayor directed the NYPD and Law Department to review the legality of a range of proposals, including those like Speaker Menin’s buffer zones proposal, and he will wait for the outcome of that review.”
The proposed measure comes after a protest outside an Upper East Side synagogue in November targeted congregants attending an event with a slew of vile chants. At a synagogue and school in Queens last week, an anti-Israel mob screamed “we support Hamas” nearby while an event took place inside.
Anti-Israel protestors congregated outside of a synagogue on the Upper East Side back in November. Yoav Ginsburg/ZUMA / SplashNews.com
Menin also wants to invest $1.25 million in new funding over two years for the Museum of Jewish Heritage that would help put together a new virtual Holocaust education experience and expand school outreach, her office said.
The rest of the plan would establish a reimbursement program to help private schools install security cameras and fund security training for Jewish organizations and other religious entities.
The Council would also create a dedicated hotline to report incidents of antisemitism that the city’s Commission on Human Rights would handle under Menin’s plan.
“New Yorkers should never be fearful to practice their faith no matter what their faith is,” Menin said at the press conference, surrounded by a handful of allies on the Council.
“They should always have confidence and pride in their identity and we are going to use every tool at our disposal to ensure that.”