Justice Department probes NYC antisemitic attacks, questions Mayor Mamdani's stance

The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division announced that it is actively investigating antisemitic offenses in New York City and has formally asked Mayor Zohran Mamdani to address concerns over perceived unequal treatment of Jewish residents. The inquiry follows two separate stabbings on the Upper West Side, one of which involved a 51-year-old attacker who shouted “Allahu Akbar!” and injured a Jewish man and an Asian man.

Jewish advocacy groups, including Americans Against Antisemitism’s founder Dov Hikind, have blamed Mamdani’s outspoken criticism of Israel for inflaming tensions. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon conveyed these complaints to Hikind and sent a letter to the mayor seeking clarification. While the mayor’s office declined to comment, city officials note that funding for hate-crime initiatives has been significantly increased under Mamdani’s administration. Critics, such as Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greeenblatt, argue that the mayor’s rhetoric may be contributing to the surge in attacks, which NYPD data show now disproportionately affect Jewish New Yorkers.