The mayor of New York, Zohran Mamdani, announced this Tuesday the launch of a campaign endowed with 26 million dollars (22.9 million euros) to combat antisemitism, an initiative that is announced a few days after his clash with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during the United Nations General Assembly.
The project plans to inject these additional funds into the Mayor's Office to Combat Antisemitism, which already has its own annual budget. "We have the responsibility to support and protect our Jewish neighbors; a responsibility that falls on each of us," he stated in a message posted on social media.
"That is the work we are carrying out at the City Hall, and I ask all New Yorkers to join us," he added, emphasizing that antisemitism "is real and is growing." "The Talmud teaches us that whoever saves a life saves an entire world. For generations, the Jews of New York have upheld this city, and today we are launching the first municipal strategy of this kind," he indicated.
In this line, he stressed that the goal is "to ensure the safety of Jewish New Yorkers." "We are going to invest in their protection, their history, and their future. Our safety and our prosperity are intertwined," he reiterated.
"Here in the city of New York, although our Jewish neighbors represent only 12% of the population, police statistics show that antisemitic hate crimes account for more than half of all confirmed hate crimes. This is not only unacceptable; it is something we all must confront," he denounced.
For this reason, he announced that it will be the City Hall itself that "leads the way." "We are going to increase funding for hate crime prevention by 26 million dollars, which represents an increase of more than 800% compared to last year. This plan includes an investment of 6.4 million dollars (5.6 million euros) in community organizations that prevent hate-motivated violence, more than double what was invested the previous year," he specified.
The package includes, among other items, two million dollars allocated to the Holocaust Memorial Garden of Queens and 2.5 million dollars (2.2 million euros) for the New Center for Jewish Culture in Brooklyn. "While these initiatives seek to protect our Jewish neighbors, they will benefit all New Yorkers," he stated.
The announcement has provoked a reaction from Israel's ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, who has harshly criticized Mamdani, whom he blames for the rise of antisemitism in the city.
"Mamdani, you stir the fire and then shout 'fire!' You are the one who has stoked the hatred against Jews in New York City! You are the biggest inciter --and the last one who should speak on this issue--," he wrote on his social media.
The exchange of accusations between Mamdani and Netanyahu began after the mayor supported the arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) against the Israeli leader for alleged war crimes and initially suggested that he would support its enforcement if he traveled to the city for the UN Assembly.
Mamdani has repeatedly described Israel's military operations in the Gaza Strip as "atrocious genocide," although last week he had to admit that he does not have the legal authority to detain Netanyahu.
Netanyahu, for his part, has responded by accusing the New York mayor of being an "antisemitic mayor" and claiming that his public interventions "endanger the Jewish citizens of the city."