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New York mayor, an Israel critic, announces steps to curb antisemitism
New York mayor, an Israel critic, announces steps to curb antisemitism
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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.
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.
The mayor has long denied accusations of failing to address antisemitism, though his latest move acknowledges the problem in the city.
"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.
According to recent figures from the New York police, antisemitic incidents surged by 182 percent between January 2025 and January 2026.
Mamdani noted that disproportionate levels of hate crimes against Jewish people had also been reported in other cities around the world.
The measures he announced Tuesday included doubling hate crime prevention funding and investing $1 million to strengthen security at synagogues and other places of worship.
Mamdani also said his office will encourage more public school education about the Holocaust, as well as about Jewish contributions to New York.
"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.
"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."
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.
"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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This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
