Anti-Israel extremism erupts in New York, endangering Jews as Zionist leaders and Israel respond forcefully.
The Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) issued a blistering statement condemning the first actions of New York City Mayor Mamdani, warning that his moves place New York’s Jewish community—and Americans at large—at serious risk.
ZOA National President Morton A. Klein accused the mayor of immediately dismantling executive orders designed to protect Jewish citizens and synagogues, while appointing Ramzi Kassem as chief counsel—an appointment ZOA described as deeply alarming due to Kassem’s record of anti-Israel activism and opposition to law enforcement.
According to ZOA, the revoked measures included New York City’s recognition of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism, restrictions on city officials engaging in boycotts of Israel, and enhanced protections for houses of worship enacted after antisemitic riots outside a synagogue. ZOA emphasized that the IHRA definition is a globally recognized tool to identify modern antisemitism, including anti-Zionism masquerading as political critique.
The statement further argued that BDS campaigns are not merely political protests but coordinated efforts to economically and socially harm Israel—and by extension, Jewish individuals and businesses worldwide. ZOA warned that Mamdani’s openly anti-Zionist positions signal a broader agenda hostile to both Israel and New York’s Jewish population.
Israel’s Israel Foreign Ministry echoed the concern, stating that scrapping the IHRA definition and lifting restrictions on boycotting Israel amounts to “antisemitic gasoline on an open fire.” Israeli Minister of Diaspora Affairs Amichai Chikli went further, calling the mayor an “overt antisemite and terror supporter,” and warning that legitimizing radical, terror-adjacent voices emboldens the same Palestinian and Islamist movements that target Jews globally.
For Israel and Jews worldwide, the episode underscores a stark reality: anti-Israel ideology—often cheered by hostile Arab and Palestinian factions—quickly metastasizes into direct threats against Jewish communities. The backlash signals that such policies will not go unanswered.
