Although New York City\u2019s mayor, Zohran Mamdani (D), has been accused of antisemitism by certain members of the Jewish community, he recently unveiled a massive new plan to counter Jewish hatred in the Big Apple. Some have lauded the mayor\u2019s approach, while others have scoffed at it.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n The 35-page plan<\/a>, titled \u201cTackling Hate: The Mamdani Administration\u2019s Strategy to Combat Antisemitism,\u201d is part of a $7.4 million \u201ccitywide commitment to confront antisemitism and to build a New York where Jewish New Yorkers can live their lives authentically on every block, in every neighborhood and across every borough,\u201d Mamdani said in the plan\u2019s introduction. While Jews make up only 12% of New York City\u2019s population, the city has the highest concentration of Jews<\/a> in the world outside Israel<\/a>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Mamdani has been accused of antisemitism because he is a \u201clongtime critic of Israel,\u201d said The New York Times<\/a>. Yet this report never expressly mentions the ongoing war in the Middle East<\/a>. Rather, it \u201crecommends continuing and expanding many existing city policies, such as teaching public school students about the Holocaust and providing training to city workers\u201d about Jewish customs. The report\u2019s \u201comission of any discussion of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict reflects the sensitive and fraught politics around the issue.\u201d<\/p>\n The Week<\/p>\n Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \nSUBSCRIBE & SAVE\n<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n Sign up for The Week’s Free Newsletters<\/p>\n Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week\u2019s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories – plus daily puzzles.<\/p>\n Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week\u2019s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories – plus daily puzzles.<\/p>\n Latest Videos FromThe Week US<\/p>\n What next? <\/p>\n Since the report\u2019s unveiling some have \u201cwelcomed the additional security and education funding but said the strategy glaringly omits the role that anti-Israel hostility plays in fueling anti-Jewish hostility,\u201d said The Wall Street Journal<\/a>. Others have praised Mamdani\u2019s<\/a> effort. At a \u201cmoment of real and rising antisemitism, extremism and violence across the ideological spectrum, our communities deserve a whole-of-government response,\u201d Amy Spitalnick, the chief executive of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, said to the Journal.<\/p>\n Antisemitism remains an ongoing issue in New York City<\/a>. In 2026 so far, there were \u201caround 223 antisemitic hate crimes, making up more than half of all hate crimes in the city,\u201d said Politico<\/a>. Still, while Mamdani\u2019s report does not specifically define \u2018antisemitism,\u2019 that may not ultimately be its purpose. It is not the \u201ccity\u2019s role to settle a debate over how to define\u201d this, and governments that \u201chave adopted the definition have not seen a reduction in antisemitism,\u201d Phylisa Wisdom, who was appointed by Mamdani to lead the New York Office to Combat Antisemitism, said in a statement. \u201cNo other hate crime category is formally defined by the city.\u201d<\/p>\n