New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced a multimillion-dollar initiative Sept. 29 to “combat antisemitism,” directing millions of dollars in public funds toward Zionist organizations.
In a video announcing the initiative, Mamdani claimed that antisemitism is on the rise in the city and that “Jewish New Yorkers should feel cherished and celebrated in the most Jewish city in America.”
Since June 2025, NYC’s government has officially recognized the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism, which includes the criticism of Israel.
The city’s primary source for claims that antisemitism is increasing is the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), a Zionist advocacy organization that uses the IHRA framework to classify anti-Zionist slogans such as “From the River to the Sea” and “Globalize the Intifada” as antisemitic incidents.
Mamdani’s initiative includes $6.4 million in “Partners Against the Hate” (PATH) grants, doubling public funding for organizations such as the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC). JCRC’s stated goals are to “increase knowledge, exposure, and support for Israel among diverse groups of New Yorkers” and to oppose campaigns that “delegitimize [Israel’s] right to exist as a Jewish and democratic state.”
JCRC-NY, in coordination with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), organizes study tours to Israel so “community leaders” can visit “strategic locales” including the Zionist-occupied Golan Heights and the “Security Barrier” that enforces Israel’s apartheid.
City workers will also be required to complete a “Understanding Jewish Experiences” training developed with the Wagner College Holocaust Center. The center’s advisory board professes its support for Israel and the Zionist student organization, Hillel.
The city initiative allocates $1 million to strengthen the physical security of synagogues and other houses of worship. Over the past year, the Mamdani administration has escalated police repression of protests against the sale of Palestinian land in synagogues throughout NYC.
In April, Mamdani approved a law criminalizing protests within 25 feet of houses of worship. The NYPD has arrested several Palestine solidarity activists for attempting to disrupt the sale of Palestinian land, which is illegal under international law. Meanwhile, a recent federal indictment revealed that Mamdani’s NYPD has run undercover operations to infiltrate and entrap individuals raising money for Palestine.
Image: Zohran Mamdani attends a Congestion Relief Zone celebration. Credit: Metropolitan Transportation Authority (CC BY 4.0).
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