Mayor Zohran Mamdani is expected to unveil his plan for combating antisemitism Tuesday morning, but multiple sources briefed on the initiative say he still will not adopt a formal definition of anti-Jewish hate or recognize Israel as a Jewish state.
Mamdani will formally present the blueprint at 11 a.m., outlining measures aimed at addressing what has become a growing problem in New York City. The plan was developed with assistance from the anti-Zionist Jewish group Jews for Racial & Economic Justice and other religious organizations.
“Underwhelming is the word I would use to describe it,” one person briefed on the plan said.
Rather than holding a traditional news conference, Mamdani will address the antisemitism initiative in a video statement.
People familiar with the plan said it includes just $1 million in security funding, spread among all houses of worship rather than directed specifically to synagogues. It also incorporates several City Council proposals developed during the budget process.
The initiative, developed by Mamdani and his antisemitism czar, Phylisa Wisdom — both outspoken critics of Israel — does not address Zionism or establish a definition of antisemitism.
One person briefed on the plan praised the administration for consulting multiple groups and including council proposals, such as appointing a Title 6 coordinator for New York City schools and organizing student visits to the Jewish Heritage Museum.
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“But again, not addressing that people use anti-Zionism as a shield for antisemitism, but not just for hate crimes but from school groups or jobs,” the person said. “It’s not just as easy as an attack on someone wearing a yarmulke on the street.”
Another Jewish lawmaker sharply criticized the decision to leave the issue out of the plan.
“Zionism is not a political ideology, [the] majority of Jews are Zionists and it’s a core part of their religious and ethnic identity,” the lawmaker said.
Wisdom told lawmakers that the initiative would not address “political ideology,” but would focus on hate crimes connected to a person’s place of origin.
Wisdom has previously faced criticism for being unable to define anti-Jewish hate.
Other lawmakers also said the security funding was far below what they considered necessary.
“It’s a negligible drop in the bucket,” one lawmaker said.
“I think the whole thing is fluff. It’s just a whole lot of nonsense. The $1 million in security is a laughable amount.”
