NYC Mayor Launches New Anti-Antisemitism Plan, Citing Talmud

New York City Mayor Eric Adams has unveiled a new initiative to combat antisemitism, allocating an increased budget of $29 million annually for hate crime prevention. This move comes amid a 9% rise in antisemitic incidents reported by the NYPD this year. Despite comprising only about 12% of the city's population, Jewish residents account for roughly half of all reported hate crime victims in New York.

Adams opened his announcement with a quote from the Talmud, "Whoever saves one life (from Israel) has saved an entire world," emphasizing the importance of the city's Jewish community and the obligation to address the issue. The plan, however, has sparked political controversy due to its omission of any specific reference to Israel or antisemitism stemming from the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Critics, including Assemblymember Michael Novakhov, have accused Adams of being a source of antisemitism, while Felicia Wiseman, head of the Mayor's Office to Combat Antisemitism, stated that all residents, regardless of their views on the mayor, deserve full security. Adams, in a video accompanying the report, stressed the historical role of Jewish New Yorkers and the shared responsibility to protect them.

Jewish community leaders have voiced concerns about the report's avoidance of defining modern antisemitism disguised as criticism of Israel. Amy Spitalnick, CEO of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, noted the threat from the far-right and the rise in violence against Jews under the guise of anti-Israel protests. Assemblymember Jeffrey Dinowitz suggested the mayor's language might embolden antisemitic actions.

Conversely, some public officials, like Senator Liz Krueger, praised the plan's concrete strategies, including Holocaust education in schools, mandatory city employee training, public displays highlighting Jewish contributions, and a dedicated task force for synagogue security. The report, while not adopting a formal definition of antisemitism, indicated it would use the Biden administration's 2023 framework as a guideline.