Mayor Eric Adams.
Credit score: Ed Reed/Mayoral Pictures Workplace.
New York Metropolis has established its first executive-level bureau targeted on stamping out the scourge of antisemitism within the Huge Apple.
Mayor Eric Adams introduced on Tuesday the formation of the Mayor’s Workplace to Fight Antisemitism, a “first-of-its-kind” division tasked with assembling an inter-agency taskforce devoted to preventing antisemitic acts, together with by monitoring courtroom instances and outcomes, and dealing with the NYC Regulation Division on laws and different companies to “ensure New Yorkers feel protected” in opposition to antisemitism and deal with antisemitic incidents.
Hateful acts in opposition to Jewish New Yorkers surged within the wake of the Oct. 7, 2023 terrorist assaults by Hamas upon Israel, which led to the continuing lethal battle in Gaza. In keeping with the NYPD, 54% of all hate crimes within the metropolis had been in opposition to Jewish New Yorkers in 2024.
Through the first quarter of 2025, that quantity rose to 62%, prompting the mayor to create the brand new workplace.
“As we continue to see the rising tide of antisemitism here at home, and across the country, this moment calls for decisive action,” mentioned Adams, who’s working on the #EndAntisemitism poll as a part of his impartial re-election effort in 2025. “The Mayor’s Office to Combat Antisemitism will be the first of its kind in a major city across the nation, and will tackle antisemitism in all of its forms, working across city agencies to ensure Jewish New Yorkers are protected and can thrive here in the five boroughs.”
Moshe Davis can be first govt director
Mayor Adams appointed a senior liaison in his Neighborhood Affairs Unit, Moshe Davis, as the primary govt director of the workplace.Ed Reed/Mayoral Pictures Workplace
Adams appointed a senior liaison in his Neighborhood Affairs Unit, Moshe Davis, as the primary govt director of the workplace. Hizzoner described Davis as a tireless advocate on behalf of Jewish New Yorkers, and he’s precisely the correct individual to steer and construct this workplace.”
Davis vowed to take a “sledgehammer” method to antisemitism, working with a fee of leaders from throughout town to supervise and advise on the workplace’s work.
“Combating antisemitism requires a sledgehammer approach: coordinated, unapologetic, and immediate,” Davis mentioned. “Mayor Adams has been a modern-day Maccabee, standing up for the Jewish community, and, with the establishment of this office, he is strengthening his resolve to ensure Jewish New Yorkers thrive in our city.”
Davis will report back to First Deputy Mayor Randy Mastro.
NYU college students erected an encampment exterior the school in April 2024 amid the protests over the Israel-Hamas Battle in Gaza.Photograph by Dean Moses
In keeping with the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), New York leads the nation in reported antisemitic incidents. A current ADL report confirmed that many incidents in 2024 befell at faculties and universities, places which were hubs for protests in opposition to the struggle in Gaza.
District attorneys from throughout town applauded the mayor’s new workplace, with Staten Island DA Michael McMahon calling it a “vital step” ahead.
“When individuals are victimized for their identity or beliefs, it is our collective responsibility to ensure that those who commit these acts are held accountable and brought to justice,” he mentioned. “This new office is a vital step forward in that continuing mission, and my Staten Island Hate Crimes Task Force stands in full support of its efforts to make our communities safer, more inclusive, and more just for everyone.”
