Mamdani’s Plan To Fight Antisemitism Will Fuel the NYC Nonprofit Complex 

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who has faced accusations of antisemitism since his mayoral campaign, was never going to please everyone with his plan to “combat antisemitism.” 

On Tuesday, when he unveiled the city’s Strategy to Combat Antisemitism, the plan predictably drew criticism. As Josh Appel wrote in UnHerd, Mamdani’s plan failed some of his supporters’ “anti-Zionism purity test.” As Appel noted, the pro-Palestinian influencer Guy Christensen wrote that “Zohran has exposed his Zionism in full the past week” by not arresting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, meeting with Alex Soros and “launch[ing] ‘the first municipal effort to combat antisemitism’ that relies on 50% Zionist pro-Israel sources.” Meanwhile, others like New York City council member Eric Dinowitz said the plan was insufficient because it does not address “anti-Zionism.” 

“If you want to address antisemitism, you have to talk about how anti-Zionism expresses itself as antisemitism,” Dinowitz said, according to ABC7 Eyewitness News. 

While some debate whether the plan is too Zionist or not Zionist enough, or whether Mamdani is too critical of Israel or not critical enough, the plan should be scrutinized by all taxpayers for another reason: It allocates millions of taxpayer dollars to New York City’s sprawling, anti-hate nonprofit complex. 

In addition to investing $1 million in security for houses of worship, the plan sets aside $6.4 million in Partners Against the Hate (P.A.T.H.) grants, “doubling last year’s funding to community organizations such as the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC).” According to the executive director of the Office for the Prevention of Hate Crimes (OPHC), the core P.A.T.H. partners also include the 67th Precinct Clergy Council, as well as “the New York City Anti-Violence Project, the Arab American Association of New York, the Asian American Federation, and the Hispanic Federation.” These groups collaborate “to combat antisemitism, anti-LGBTQ+ hate, Islamophobia, anti-Asian hate, anti-Arab hate, anti-Black racism, and other forms of bias while fostering inclusion, solidarity, and safety for all New Yorkers.”

P.A.T.H. grants are administered through the OPHC, which was established in 2019. The office “strives to fulfill New York City’s strong commitment to diversity and respect for all” through education, laws and enforcement, and community relations. While the office’s mission sounds noble, one must wonder: How can the “hate” motivating crimes be rooted out by the government? Any effort to eliminate something as vague as “hate” should be scrutinized. 

The OPHC also invites New York nonprofits and individuals to apply for Community Project Grants of up to $10,000 to prevent hate violence, address bias-motivated incidents, and strengthen respect and inclusion across New York City. FY 2027’s winners include “an arts-based storytelling and healing initiative for immigrant English-language learners” and a community storytelling initiative in Brooklyn which focuses on “migration, identity, stereotypes, and belonging,” reports Harlem World. While the city may insist that these projects change attitudes at the grassroots level, it is doubtful that bigots and criminals (and bigoted criminals) would voluntarily attend these events. Furthermore, is it the city’s responsibility to change the “hate” or “bigotry” in people’s hearts?

In 2021, the anti-hate crimes office also gave out a series of “Innovation” grants for projects to combat hate crimes by a June 2022 deadline. But in November of 2022, The City Reporter said that the office “divulged nothing about where the money went or who received it.” 

Despite these issues with the OPHC, the city appears determined to send more money its way. During his mayoral campaign, Mamdani repeatedly said he would increase anti-hate crime funding initiatives, and his proposal for the Department of Community Safety stated that his administration would increase funding “for hate violence programs from $3 million currently to approximately $26 million—an over 800 percent increase.” In May, Jacob Kornbluh of Forward reported that Mamdani’s administration announced a ninefold increase in funding for the OPHC, fulfilling his campaign promise. Kornbluh also reported that Mamdani would roll out the city’s combatting antisemitism program in the fall. 

Mamdani’s zeal for anti-hate crime funding is unsurprising given New York City’s history of attempting to stamp out hate by funding a web of nonprofits and activist groups. He is throwing money at nonprofits that have an interest in claiming hate exists, giving them a raison d’être. The mayor can and should focus on protecting New Yorkers from crimes, and he has a responsibility to keep New Yorkers of all creeds physically safe. But those insisting that the mayor use taxpayer funds to actively combat another “ism” by subsidizing the city’s nonprofits are likely to be disappointed.