Mamdani Unveils $7.4 Million Antisemitism Plan Days After Calling for Netanyahu’s Arrest

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has launched the city’s first municipal strategy specifically aimed at combating antisemitism, committing $7.4 million to security, education, prevention and support for Jewish New Yorkers.

The announcement comes at a politically charged moment for Mamdani, just days after he renewed his call for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to be arrested and after Netanyahu publicly accused the mayor of antisemitism during his address to the United Nations General Assembly.

Mamdani described the new initiative as a long-term roadmap for confronting anti-Jewish hatred across New York City.

Hate crimes against Jewish New Yorkers remain a major concern

The strategy comes as NYPD figures show an increase in confirmed antisemitic hate crimes in the city.

Between January and July, police recorded 205 confirmed anti-Jewish hate crimes, compared with 189 during the same period in 2025 — an increase of 8.5%.

The figures were particularly stark in July, when 23 antisemitic hate crimes were recorded compared with 15 during July the previous year, representing a rise of more than 53%.

By the end of August, NYPD data showed antisemitic hate crimes were up 9% year-to-date, while confirmed hate crimes overall had increased by 16%.

Jewish New Yorkers accounted for more than half of confirmed hate crimes despite representing roughly a tenth of the city’s population.

Millions earmarked for security and community programmes

Under Mamdani’s new strategy, $6.4 million will go to community organisations working to prevent antisemitism and assist victims.

Another $1 million will be dedicated to security improvements at houses of worship.

The administration also plans to expand Holocaust and Jewish-history education in New York City schools and provide $2 million for the Queens Holocaust memorial.

A further $2.5 million will support the creation of a Center for New Jewish Culture in Brooklyn.

The city also intends to launch a public campaign explaining how residents can report discrimination under municipal law while strengthening cooperation between police, human-rights officials and hate-crime prevention offices.

Mamdani refuses to adopt a single definition of antisemitism

One of the most contentious elements of the strategy is the administration’s decision not to formally adopt a single definition of antisemitism.

Instead, Mamdani’s team says cases will be examined individually.

The position represents a clear break with the approach taken by former Mayor Eric Adams, who in June 2025 signed an executive order directing city agencies to recognise and, where appropriate, use the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance working definition of antisemitism and its 11 examples.

That framework includes examples relating to certain forms of hostility toward Israel, including denying Jewish self-determination or holding Jews collectively responsible for the actions of the Israeli government.

The Adams policy also stated that the definition was not legally binding and was not intended to restrict constitutionally protected speech.

Mamdani previously revoked the IHRA policy

After taking office, Mamdani revoked the executive orders issued by his predecessor, including the policy incorporating the IHRA framework.

His administration argued that the move was part of a broader effort to establish a new direction for City Hall.

The question of how antisemitism should be defined resurfaced in April when Mamdani’s antisemitism czar, Phylisa Wisdom, appeared before the City Council’s Task Force to Combat Antisemitism.

Wisdom said the administration would not codify a definition of antisemitism or hate more broadly, instead favouring case-by-case assessments.

Supporters of the approach say it avoids imposing a definition that could blur the line between antisemitism and criticism of the Israeli government.

Critics counter that without a common definition, officials could struggle to respond consistently when anti-Israel rhetoric crosses into anti-Jewish hatred.

Strategy launched amid extraordinary Netanyahu confrontation

The new policy arrives only days after an unusually public confrontation between Mamdani and Netanyahu.

On September 21, Mamdani renewed his call for Netanyahu to be arrested during the Israeli prime minister’s visit to New York for the UN General Assembly.

Mamdani has described Netanyahu as a war criminal and accused him of responsibility for what he calls genocide in Gaza. He has also said he would support enforcement of the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant for Netanyahu, while acknowledging that New York City itself does not have the authority to execute it.

Three days later, Netanyahu used his UN address to directly attack the New York mayor.

Calling Mamdani “the antisemitic mayor of New York,” Netanyahu claimed Jewish residents no longer felt safe following Mamdani’s election and accused the mayor of spreading what he described as false claims about Israel and Gaza.

Mamdani rejected the accusations, saying Netanyahu had repeated what he called baseless claims about the war in Gaza.

Mayor also skipped Israel Day Parade

Mamdani’s relationship with New York’s Jewish community has remained a subject of controversy since his election.

He became the first New York mayor to skip the city’s Israel Day Parade, pointing to his campaign position that he would not attend and saying his views about the Israeli government were already well known.

At the same time, Mamdani has sought to demonstrate engagement with Jewish New Yorkers.

He recently marked Rosh Hashanah at City Hall with children, taking part in the traditional practice of dipping apples in honey.

His new strategy also promises regular engagement with Jewish New Yorkers representing different religious and political perspectives.

Administration seeks to separate Jewish safety from Israel policy

The strategy places Mamdani in a politically difficult position: his administration is pledging significant resources to combat antisemitism while maintaining controversial positions on the Israeli government and the Gaza war.

City officials say the fight against anti-Jewish hatred must be treated independently of political disagreements over Israel.

The administration’s challenge will now be demonstrating that distinction in practice, particularly as antisemitic incidents continue to rise and debates over the definition of antisemitism remain deeply divisive.

For Mamdani, the $7.4 million initiative represents an attempt to make the protection of Jewish New Yorkers a central municipal priority — even as his own approach to Israel and antisemitism remains under intense scrutiny.