A coalition of more than 25 Big Apple-based Jewish community groups is ripping Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s new plan to combat antisemitism, claiming it deliberately ignores hatred targeting Jews and Israel.
The groups — which include the New York City Public School Alliance and Bridgebuilders Grassroots Coalition — slammed a 33-page blueprint for dealing with rising antisemitic crime that the Israel-hating mayor rolled out Tuesday, saying it “falls dangerously short” by “largely sidestep[ping] the biggest threat Jewish New Yorkers” face: anti-Jewish harassment and “violence cloaked as anti-Israel activism.”
“That omission isn’t incidental. It’s the central failure of the report,” the groups said in a letter Friday to Phylisa Wisdom, executive director of Mayor’s Office to Combat Antisemitism, demanding the Mamdani administration issue a new plan that defines antisemitism and addresses anti-Zionist hatred.
Mamdani’s strategy is largely a pared-down version of ex-Mayor Eric Adams’ policy framework released last year.
It invests $29 million annually towards hate crime prevention — a $3 million hike — by improving security at synagogues and other Jewish cultural centers
However, the report only makes one passing remark about Israel — “New York is home to the largest Jewish community of any city in the world outside of Israel” — and fails to mention Zionism at all.
“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, also fired off an email on Friday to Wisdom, saying members of the 25-plus groups “would welcome” meeting with her and her team to discuss their “concerns and recommendations.”
Wisdom did not return messages left by The Post, but Mamdani spokesman Sam Raskin said the administration stands by the mayor’s plan to tackle antisemitism.
“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.”
