Overview
- Reviewing more than 400 volunteer appointees, the ADL said roughly 80 have a record of anti‑Israel statements or ties to groups such as Students for Justice in Palestine, Jewish Voice for Peace and Within Our Lifetime.
- The report cites posts it characterizes as justifying violence, including Kazi Fouzia writing “Resistance are justified when people are occupied” hours after Oct. 7, and flags Zakiyah Shaakir‑Ansari photographed before an inverted red triangle banner reading “LONG LIVE THE RESISTANCE.”
- At least four appointees were identified with ties to Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan, including Tamika Mallory and Jacques Léandre, whom the ADL notes attended or praised events featuring antisemitic rhetoric.
- The audit follows the resignation of appointments director Catherine Almonte Da Costa over resurfaced antisemitic posts, after which the transition brought in outside vetting support.
- Mayor‑elect Zohran Mamdani rejected the report’s conclusions as blurring criticism of Israel with antisemitism, while Jewish leaders and the ADL pressed for clearer vetting and assurances on Jewish community safety.