Mamdani's $7.4m. antisemitism strategy funds groups critical of Israel, financial filings indicate

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani's $7.4 million antisemitism strategy, the first municipal plan of its kind in the US, may direct funds to organizations with anti-Israel advocacy records, according to financial filings. The plan does not adopt a formal definition of antisemitism and omits the words Zionism, Zionist, or anti-Zionist. Funding includes $6.4 million in PATH grants, with the Arab American Association of New York channeling money to CAIR-NY and JFREJ.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani unveiled a $7.4 million antisemitism strategy, described as the first municipal plan of its kind in the US. The strategy includes $6.4 million in hate-crime prevention grants, $1 million for security upgrades at synagogues, expanded Holocaust education, and investment in Jewish cultural institutions. However, the 30-page document does not adopt a formal definition of antisemitism and omits the words Zionism, Zionist, or anti-Zionist entirely. Israel is mentioned only a couple of times. Financial filings indicate that funding may flow to organizations with anti-Israel advocacy records. The Arab American Association of New York, an anti-Israel organization previously run by Linda Sarsour, gave $57,779 to CAIR-NY and $58,084 to JFREJ as part of PATH grants. CAIR co-founders have faced government scrutiny over ties to Islamist terrorism, and CAIR has been designated a terrorist organization by Texas and Florida. CAIR was also a major backer of Mamdani's mayoral campaign. The article frames the strategy as potentially funding groups that fuel antisemitism rather than combat it.