New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a critic of Israel, announces new measures to fight antisemitism

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images/File

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New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Tuesday announced several measures aimed at curbing antisemitism after a rise in incidents in a city home to the largest Jewish community in the United States.

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Mamdani, a vocal pro-Palestinian supporter, has drawn harsh criticism from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who has alleged many Jews do not feel safe in New York.

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The mayor has long denied accusations of failing to address antisemitism, though his latest move acknowledges the problem in the city.

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“The numbers are indisputable: Jewish New Yorkers make up only 12% of our population, yet they are the victims of roughly half of all reported hate crimes,” Mamdani said in a report.

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According to recent figures from the New York police, antisemitic incidents surged by 182 per cent between January 2025 and January 2026.

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Mamdani noted that disproportionate levels of hate crimes against Jewish people had also been reported in other cities around the world.

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The measures he announced Tuesday included doubling hate crime prevention funding and investing US$1 million to strengthen security at synagogues and other places of worship.

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Mamdani also said his office will encourage more public school education about the Holocaust, as well as about Jewish contributions to New York.

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“Let me be clear: my administration has zero tolerance for antisemitism. Not on our subways. Not in our workplaces. Not online. Not anywhere,” he said.

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“As mayor, I will use every power entrusted in me to protect Jewish New Yorkers and ensure that Jewish life flourishes for generations to come.”

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The Anti-Defamation League, a nonprofit tracking Jewish discrimination, said the new measures do not go far enough and faulted Mamdani for failing to officially define antisemitism.

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“This mayor does not treat the hate facing Jewish New Yorkers as an emergency and refuses to acknowledge the different shapes it takes,” the group wrote on X.

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