NYC Mayor’s FIRST ACT Unleashes Nightmare Scenario

New York City’s Jewish community faces a staggering 182% surge in antisemitic hate crimes during Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s first month in office, following his immediate revocation of critical protections established to safeguard Jewish residents.

Story Snapshot

NYPD data reveals 31 anti-Jewish hate crimes in January 2026, up from 11 the previous year, comprising 54% of all hate crimes in the city
On his first day as mayor, Mamdani revoked executive orders that adopted international antisemitism definitions and opposed boycott movements targeting Israel
The crime spike includes a car ramming at Chabad Lubavitch headquarters and ongoing harassment at synagogues across the city
Jewish community leaders demand restoration of protections as NYC’s 10-14% Jewish population bears the brunt of hate crime targeting

Mamdani Dismantles Jewish Safety Measures on Day One

Zohran Mamdani took office as New York City’s first Muslim mayor on January 1, 2026, and immediately revoked executive orders his predecessor Eric Adams had implemented to combat rising antisemitism. The rescinded protections included adoption of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism, opposition to the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement, and enhanced security buffers around synagogues. Adams had established these safeguards in September 2024 as antisemitic incidents surged 361% in the three months following Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel. Mamdani’s swift action to dismantle these protections raised immediate concerns among mainstream Jewish organizations representing the nation’s largest Jewish population outside Israel.

Hate Crimes Explode Under New Administration

NYPD statistics document 31 antisemitic hate crimes in January 2026, representing a 182% increase from the 11 incidents recorded in January 2025. Jewish New Yorkers, who comprise 10-14% of the city’s population, were targeted in 54% of all 58 hate crimes reported that month. The spike included a January 31 car ramming at Chabad Lubavitch world headquarters, with suspect Dan Sohail facing hate crime charges. This alarming trend follows 2024 data showing Jews targeted in 641 hate crimes, with 58% of attacks tied to Israel-related hostility. The Anti-Defamation League recorded 976 antisemitic incidents in NYC during 2024, marking the highest level in over 40 years.

Controversial Appointees Raise Additional Red Flags

Mamdani’s selection of Ramzi Kassem as Chief Counsel intensified Jewish community concerns about the administration’s commitment to their safety. Kassem previously defended an al Qaeda figure and has trained anti-Israel activists while maintaining ties to Within Our Lifetime, a group linked to protests featuring “death to IDF” chants and flag-burning incidents. The ADL reports that approximately 20% of Mamdani’s transition team had connections to anti-Israel activities. As a democratic socialist who supports BDS and labels Israel an “apartheid” state, Mamdani aligns with fringe groups like Jewish Voice for Peace rather than mainstream Jewish organizations. This ideological positioning directly conflicts with protecting Jewish communities from the antisemitism that mainstream groups argue BDS rhetoric enables and encourages.

Mayor’s Delayed Response Draws Criticism

Mamdani condemned the Chabad headquarters car ramming as “violent antisemitism,” yet his response to other incidents revealed troubling inconsistencies. When protesters gathered at Park Avenue Synagogue in November 2025 chanting “We support Hamas,” Mamdani delayed addressing the incident and ultimately blamed the synagogue itself for alleged violations of international law. This selective outrage highlights what critics describe as a dangerous double standard. NYC Council Speaker Julie Menin, the city’s first Jewish speaker, unveiled a comprehensive antisemitism action plan noting that 57% of hate crimes target Jewish residents. Mainstream Jewish advocates call for Mamdani to explicitly denounce slogans like “globalize the intifada” and restore the protective measures that Adams implemented, arguing that removing these safeguards during a hate crime surge constitutes reckless endangerment of vulnerable communities.

The correlation between policy changes and escalating violence presents serious questions about mayoral priorities in a city where Jewish residents face daily targeting. While causation remains debated, the timing of removing antisemitism protections followed immediately by a 182% crime spike suggests consequences that demand accountability. New York’s Jewish community, the largest diaspora population globally outside Israel, deserves leadership that prioritizes their constitutional right to safety over ideological commitments to movements that mainstream organizations identify as fostering the very hatred now terrorizing synagogues and Jewish institutions across all five boroughs.