Mamdani Takes Heat as Anti-Jewish Hate Crimes Rise

Hate crimes targeting Jewish New Yorkers are rising even as overall crime falls, and the city's new mayor is at the center of the tension. Police data show 205 anti-Jewish hate crimes in the first seven months of 2026, up from 189 a year earlier; such attacks now make up more than half of all hate crimes in a city where Jews are about 10% of the population. Some Jewish leaders link the climate to Mayor Zohran Mamdani's repeated criticism of Israel, the Wall Street Journal reports.

The mayor has labeled Israel's actions in Gaza "genocide," skipped the Israel Day parade, and recently mused about arresting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on an international warrant before later conceding he lacks that power. Netanyahu accused him of "fomenting hate," while Rabbi Rick Jacobs said the mayor's focus on Netanyahu leaves Jews feeling more exposed. Mamdani insists antisemitism "will never be tolerated," points to increased funding for the city's hate crimes office, and maintains he governs "for all New Yorkers." Others say his rhetoric and, sometimes, actions undercut that message, per the Journal. There were complaints last month, for instance, when Mamdani named a panel to advise him on judicial appointments, per the New York Times, which he said would reflect the city's "cosmopolitan population." Not one of the 18 members is Jewish.