Overview
- The administration published a 33-page Strategy to Combat Antisemitism on Sept. 29 that commits about $30 million citywide, including $6.4 million for the Partners Against the Hate (PATH) grant program and $1 million for synagogue and house-of-worship security.
- PATH’s partner list includes the Arab American Association of New York (AAANY), an anchor group with a history of anti‑Israel advocacy, which critics say means city funds will be routed through organizations some Jewish leaders find hostile to Israel.
- The strategy explicitly declines to adopt one formal definition of antisemitism, reversing the prior administration’s IHRA-based policy and prompting public criticism from major Jewish organizations that say the plan fails to address anti‑Zionist drivers of anti‑Jewish hostility.
- Public reaction has been intense: dozens of Jewish groups issued condemnations, progressive and pro‑Palestinian activists have organized protests accusing Mayor Zohran Mamdani of betraying promises, and Mamdani attended an Oct. 7 vigil before meeting with Palestinian New Yorkers as controversy intensified.
- City officials point to rising NYPD data showing anti‑Jewish attacks made up a majority of confirmed hate crimes in 2026, but advocates warn the $1 million security pot is small compared with local needs and say the dispute over partners and definitions risks prolonging political and communal polarization.