Fury in New York: "Madamani's anti-Semitism plan ignores Israel"

New York Mayor Eric Adams presented a new plan to combat anti-Semitism, but it drew sharp criticism from Jewish communities in the city. They argue the plan ignores the rise in violence and harassment disguised as anti-Israel and anti-Zionist activism, and avoids adopting a clear definition of anti-Semitism. The Israeli Consul in New York, Ofir Akunis, also criticized the plan.

New York Mayor Eric Adams presented a new plan to combat anti-Semitism in the city, titled "Strategy to Combat Anti-Semitism." The plan includes funding for hate crime prevention, establishing an inter-organizational task force, and investments in Jewish institutions, with an additional budget of $26 million – an 800% increase from last year. However, the plan faced a wave of angry reactions from a coalition of over 25 Jewish organizations and communities, who claimed it ignores the Israeli context and the anti-Zionist component of the phenomenon. According to them, Adams avoids adopting a definition of anti-Semitism and evades addressing the root of the problem. According to local police data, Jews make up about 10% of the city's population, but are the target of about half of verified hate crimes. The Israeli Consul General in New York, Ofir Akunis, also criticized the plan, arguing it focuses mainly on increasing security budgets and does not address Israel or protests against it at all. "Money doesn't buy values," he said, adding that a real fight against anti-Semitism requires adopting the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition and dealing with incitement. The criticism comes amid a sharp rise in anti-Semitic incidents in the city, including documentation of neo-Nazi activists in the heart of New York carrying Nazi symbols.