ADL Launches ‘Mamdani Monitor’ to Track NYC Mayor Over Anti-Semitism Concerns

The pro-Israel Anti-Defamation League (ADL) announced the launch of an initiative to track and monitor the policies and personnel appointments of New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, according to a press statement released on Wednesday.

Jonathan Greenblatt, the ADL's CEO and national director, and a vocal critic of Mamdani during his campaign, held a briefing on Wednesday to address the organization’s approach to the incoming administration. During the session, he announced the launch of the “Mamdani Monitor” — a public tracker intended to scrutinize Mamdani’s policies that the ADL viewed as threatening Jewish security. 

“Mayor-Elect Mamdani has promoted anti-Semitic narratives, associated with individuals who have a history of anti-Semitism, and demonstrated intense animosity toward the Jewish state that is counter to the views of the overwhelming majority of Jewish New Yorkers,” Jonathan Greenblatt said in a statement.

“We are deeply concerned that those individuals and principles will influence his administration at a time when we are tracking a brazen surge of harassment, vandalism and violence targeting Jewish residents and institutions in recent years,” he added.

ADL to ‘Monitor’ Mamdani Administration

The ADL said it would establish a “tipline initiative” — a dedicated channel for New Yorkers to report anti-Semitic incidents occurring in public spaces, schools, or workplaces. The organization’s experts will analyze the collected data to monitor trends and assess how the new administration may influence the safety of Jewish communities across the city.

It is not, Greenblatt said, an invitation for conspiracy theories about Mamdani, but a call for "real life incidents" of discrimination "so we can track them effectively and make sure law enforcement's following up as appropriate." The ADL alleges that Mamdani's views may create a "permission structure" for anti-Semitic attacks at a time when they are on the rise.

Besides, the pro-Israel group said it would be bolstering its “research capabilities,” as it will invest in early-warning research on city policies, appointments, and funding decisions potentially impacting Jewish community interests. If any of these decisions are deemed to pose a threat to the safety of Jewish New Yorkers, the ADL will coordinate community action in response.

Moreover, the ADL-led surveillance would be used to feed information to a “Mamdani Monitor,” a public-facing tracker is being developed to provide ongoing updates on the Mamdani Administration's actions and decisions as they relate to Jewish safety and security. This monitor will draw from both the tipline and internal research to cover areas such as education, budget allocations, and public safety measures.

Jewish Advocacy Groups Mourning Mamdani’s Victory

Although Mamdani’s campaign centered on New York City, his outspoken support for Palestinian rights had taken center stage throughout.

Mamdani has been critical of Israel over its human rights abuses. He has also pledged to protect Jewish New Yorkers, and throughout the campaign, he met with Jewish community leaders.

In his press statement, ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt pointed to Mamdani’s backing of the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel and his past remarks about the Israeli military as proof that “this mayor will not have our backs.”

Greenblatt hurled baseless accusations of anti-Semitism at Mamdani, saying that the mayor-elect “demonstrated intense animosity toward” Israel, “we expect the mayor of the city with the largest Jewish population in the world to stand unequivocally against anti-Semitism in all its varied forms and support all of its Jewish residents just as he would all other constituents,” Greenblatt said, “We will hold the Mamdani administration accountable to this basic standard,” he added.

Moreover, Greenblatt stated that the ADL is monitoring Mamdani’s actions with a set of specific demands. These include ensuring that no individuals with histories of anti-Semitism are appointed to public office, maintaining NYPD protection for synagogues and Jewish day schools, and guaranteeing “factual, unbiased education about the Middle East” in New York schools. He further emphasized the importance of preserving NYPD partnerships with Israeli counterintelligence and counterterrorism efforts.

Hindy Poupko, the chief strategy officer at UJA-Federation of New York, stated that her organization is preparing to address any potential Mamdani policies that align with the BDS movement. She said that UJA aims to advocate for expanding a state-level anti-BDS law, passed by Cuomo as governor, to ensure it also applies within New York City.

“We need to expand that Cuomo executive order to cover City Hall, because it would be devastating on many fronts — not to mention economically devastating for New Yorkers — if the Mamdani administration engaged in any kind of BDS activity,” said Poupko.

The ADL and UJA were joined by other organizations in expressing concern over Mamdani’s win. In a joint statement, The New York Board of Rabbis and other leading Jewish institutions in the city stated, “We cannot ignore that the Mayor-elect holds core beliefs fundamentally at odds with our community’s deepest convictions and most cherished values.”

Rabbi Marc Schneier, Head of The Hampton Synagogue on Long Island, announced plans to establish the first Jewish day school in the Hamptons, describing it as a refuge for “thousands of Jewish families” seeking to escape what he called “the anti-Semitic climate of Mamdani’s New York City.”

Meanwhile, the Republican Jewish Coalition called Mamdani’s victory “a deeply distressing result for New Yorkers, particularly Jewish New Yorkers,” and accused his entire party of condoning anti-Semitism. “There is only ONE party in this country fighting anti-Semitism and supporting Israel, and it is the Republican Party,” said the coalition.

Pro-Israel Fuel Racism and Islamophobia Targeting NYC’s Mamdani

Exit polls revealed that roughly one-third of Jewish voters in New York supported Mamdani in the NYC mayoral election — a result that helped secure his victory and unsettled many Jewish opponents unaccustomed to finding themselves on the losing side.

However, Mamdani was attacked with anti-Semitic and Islamophobic comments by several pro-Israel groups and his challenger, former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo.

His calls to end Gaza genocide and his criticism of the Israeli government’s treatment of Palestinians made him a “Jew‑hater,” “anti-Semitic,” or a Hamas supporter. Critics then argue that his mayorship would make New York unsafe for Jewish people, prompting two competing letters from rabbis from the city and around the country.

On October 22, 2025, the Jewish Majority issued a letter claiming that Mamdani engaged in dangerous rhetoric because he “refused to condemn violent slogans, deny Israel’s legitimacy, and accuse the Jewish state of genocide.”

Signed by over 1000 rabbis, the letter was frequently referenced by Mamdani’s opponents.

In addition, a counterletter from a group called “Jews for a Shared Future”, signed by over 1000 rabbis, stated that “Mamdani's support for Palestinian self-determination stems not from hate, but from his deep moral convictions. As anti-Semitism and Islamophobia both rise in America, we understand that our fates are bound together.”

Islamophobic Sentiment Combined with Bigoted Themes

Mamdani responded to the ADL’s announcement on Wednesday at his first news conference since the election, saying he took “the issue of anti-Semitism incredibly seriously.”

“I look forward to working with Jewish leaders across this city, whether they be elected officials, rabbis or community leaders, to deliver the promise of not just protecting Jewish New Yorkers but celebrating and cherishing them,” he said.

Mamdani added that he doubted Greenblatt would monitor his administration’s work in good faith.

The ADL has faced criticism for labeling pro-Palestinian speech and campus demonstrations as “anti-Semitic, “and for its blind support of Israel as it carried out a live-streamed genocide in Gaza.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (Cair) said on Wednesday "The ADL has never established a special monitor to harass any other elected official, including politicians who have actually expressed real bigotry against Jewish Americans. Singling out Mayor-Elect Mamdani is an act of hypocrisy and anti-Muslim bigotry, pure and simple.”

“We strongly condemn the ADL's increasingly unhinged, desperate attacks on American Muslims and other advocates for Palestinian human rights, and we call on New York community leaders to do the same,” Cair added.

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