Mamdani Administration Rejects Codified Antisemitism Definition as NYPD Details Rising Bias Crimes

Mayor Zohran Mamdani's office confirms New York City will not use the IHRA definition of antisemitism, as NYPD data shows Jews face 57% of all city hate crimes.

By: AXL Media

Published: Apr 23, 2026, 11:34 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from The Times of Israel

Mamdani Rescinds Previous Antisemitism Standards

On his first day in office in January 2026, Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani revoked the executive order signed by his predecessor, Eric Adams, which had adopted the IHRA definition of antisemitism. The IHRA framework includes examples where certain criticisms of Israel are classified as discriminatory against Jews. Mamdani, a vocal critic of Israel and supporter of the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement, characterized the move as part of a "fresh start" for his administration. While the mayor retained the Mayoral Office to Combat Antisemitism, his decision to scrap the global standard sparked significant debate over how the city would identify and enforce anti-discrimination policies moving forward.

City Hall Shifts to Case-by-Case Analysis

Phylisa Wisdom, testifying before the City Council’s Bipartisan Task Force to Combat Antisemitism on April 22, 2026, stated that the administration does not believe a codified definition of hate is necessary. Wisdom, who was appointed to the role in February 2026, explained that the policy is to treat bias and hate as "case-by-case" issues. She defined antisemitism broadly as "prejudice, violence, and discrimination against Jews because they are Jewish." This lack of a formal definition prompted Councilmember Simcha Felder to storm out of the hearing, labeling the administration’s approach "unconscionable" and arguing that the city would be forced to redefine hate for every individual incident.

NYPD Reports Surge in Anti-Jewish Bias

The hearing highlighted the scale of the challenges facing the city, with the NYPD reporting that Jews remain the most targeted group for hate crimes in New York. According to Michael Gerber, NYPD Deputy Commissioner for Legal Matters, Jewish New Yorkers accounted for more than 50% of confirmed hate crime victims in 2024 and 2025. In 2025 alone, police reported 330 antisemitic incidents out of 576 total suspected hate crimes, meaning anti-Jewish acts constituted 57% of all bias-related reports. Despite Jews making up only approximately 10% of the city's population, these incidents occurred on average every 26 hours throughout the previous year.