Inna Vernikov, a Jewish member of the New York City Council and co-chair of its bipartisan task force on fighting Jew-hatred, isn’t impressed with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s new strategy to fight antisemitism.
“The mayor’s plan to combat antisemitism fails to address one key question: How do we combat the hateful rhetoric that rolls out of the mayor’s own mouth and the violence against Jewish New Yorkers he is fueling?” Vernikov told JNS.
New York Jewish leaders told JNS that the City Hall strategy, unveiled on Tuesday, is “such a disappointment and frankly unworthy of the mayor and administration” and that in its neglect of anti-Zionism, it is “like writing a report on lung cancer without mentioning smoking.”
Julie Menin, the first Jewish speaker of the City Council, told JNS that some parts of the plan are helpful.
“When more than half of all hate crimes in our city target Jewish New Yorkers, despite our community representing only around 10% of the population, it’s abundantly clear that combatting antisemitism is an urgent and substantial challenge for all of our city government, and indeed, all of us,” Menin said.
“I’m pleased the mayor’s plan shares certain prongs of the council’s five-point plan to combat antisemitism, including support for security and Holocaust education,” she told JNS.
Menin has been a staunch supporter of Israel, including visiting the Jewish state, and one of the sites attacked on Oct. 7, in February 2024. She has also marched in Israel Day parades in New York City.
Mamdani, who campaigned on having the Israeli prime minister arrested, broke with City Hall tradition by skipping the most recent pro-Israel parade.
