Mamdanis $30M plan to fight antisemitism includes increased funding for anti-Israel group

Socialist Mayor Zohran Mamdani's plan to combat antisemitism indirectly furthers funding to an Arab-American group critical of U.S. – Israel relations.

As part of $30 million in investments to push back persecution of the Jewish community, the strategy includes a $6.4 million grant to the Partners Against Hate (PATH). To carry out its mission to "enhance awareness and reporting of hate crimes," PATH partners with a group of six other groups — including the Arab American Association of New York (AAANY), which was formerly led by disgraced Women's March co-founder and notorious anti-Israel activist Linda Sarsour.

The link between New York City and AAANY comes as Mamdani struggles to overcome skepticism among Jewish communities that its first Muslim mayoral administration has done enough to adequately combat rising levels of antisemitism in the Big Apple.

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Antisemitic acts make up the greatest slice of the citys tracking for hate crimes in 2026, accounting for roughly 9% of the picture, according to NYPD reporting. In the first eight months of 2026, the city has recorded a hate crime uptick of 16% over last years levels.

Recorded hate crimes in the "homosexual" category, for instance, make up 29 incidents, and those against Muslims make up another 21. Hate crimes against Jews have reached 181.

One hundred and thirty-one of those are felony offenses.

The surge prompted Mamdani to unveil his $30 million plan earlier this month, calling it a key step towards combatting hate towards Jewish communities.

"My administration has a responsibility to ensure New York City remains a place where Jewish New Yorkers can live their lives peacefully and safely, where they can walk down the street, enter their houses of worship and build their lives knowing that this city will stand with them," Mamdani said in a strategy document.

Notably, the indirect partnership between New York City and AAANY, the Arab-American group, is not new.

AAANYs link to PATH was listed in a 2021 press release from then-mayor Bill de Blasio. In those remarks, de Blasio listed out the organizations that would partner with PATH to combat racial crimes through a $3 million grant distributed among its partners.

"The anchor organizations will work closely with the [Office for the Prevention of Hate Crimes] and other city agencies to ensure a comprehensive, community-based approach to preventing hate crime," the press release states.

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"In New York City, we do not tolerate hate, violence, or bigotry in any form. As we drive a recovery for all of us, we must lift up the community leaders standing up against Americas hate epidemic. We are taking action to make sure the hate in our beloved city is eliminated— once and for all," de Blasio said at the time.

In the years since, however, AAANY has come under scrutiny for its