More than 25 Jewish community organizations based in New York City are criticizing Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s newly released strategy for combating antisemitism, arguing that it overlooks hostility directed at Jews and Israel.
The coalition, which includes the New York City Public School Alliance and Bridgebuilders Grassroots Coalition, said the mayor’s 33-page plan to address rising antisemitic crime “falls dangerously short.” In a statement, the groups argued that it largely avoids what they described as the most serious threat facing Jewish New Yorkers: anti-Jewish harassment and “violence cloaked as anti-Israel activism.”
“That omission isn’t incidental. It’s the central failure of the report,” the organizations wrote in a Friday letter to Phylisa Wisdom, executive director of the Mayor’s Office to Combat Antisemitism. They urged the Mamdani administration to produce a revised strategy that clearly defines antisemitism and addresses anti-Zionist hostility.
Mamdani’s plan is largely a scaled-back version of a policy framework unveiled last year by former Mayor Eric Adams.
The strategy allocates $29 million a year to hate-crime prevention, a $3 million increase. The funding will support enhanced security at synagogues and other Jewish cultural institutions.
The report refers to Israel only once, stating that “New York is home to the largest Jewish community of any city in the world outside of Israel.” It does not mention Zionism.
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“The Mayor’s report explicitly declines to adopt a definition of antisemitism and provides little concrete guidance for perhaps the hardest and most pertinent questions institutions are confronting: When is conduct framed as antizionist political expression simply anti-Jewish targeting or discrimination?” the coalition said.
“How can we solve a problem if we refuse to even acknowledge the cause? A strategy to combat antisemitism in New York City must address antisemitism as Jewish New Yorkers are experiencing it today and must not deny their [ability] to identify and define the hate they encounter.”
Ramon Maislen, co-founder of Bridgebuilders Grassroots Coalition, separately emailed Wisdom on Friday. He said representatives of the 25-plus organizations “would welcome” a meeting with her team to discuss their concerns and recommendations.
Wisdom did not respond to messages from The Post. Mamdani spokesman Sam Raskin, however, said the administration continues to support the mayor’s antisemitism strategy.
“This strategy reflects the Mamdani administration’s commitment to rooting out antisemitism in all its forms and ensuring every Jewish New Yorker can live safely and proudly in our city, regardless of their political views,” he said.
“Antisemitism is a scourge, and our responsibility is to address it wherever it appears and whoever perpetuates it. The Mamdani administration is laser-focused on using the many tools available to municipal government to root out antisemitism and ensure Jewish life across the five boroughs continues to thrive.”