NEW YORK — New York City Mayor Eric Adams’s antisemitism task force released a landmark report on Wednesday that outlined a blueprint for combating discrimination against Jews, a day before his far-left, anti-Zionist successor Zohran Mamdani takes office.

Adams is a staunch supporter of Israel and the Jewish community who has made opposing antisemitism a priority and taken a series of measures to rein in discrimination against Jews.

One of those steps was establishing the Office to Combat Antisemitism in May, the first office of its kind in a major US city. That office released Wednesday’s report, summing up its activities and issuing recommendations for combating antisemitism in US cities.

Antisemitic incidents accounted for 62% of all hate crimes in the city in the first quarter of 2025, prompting the office’s establishment, the report said. Jews make up around 12% of the city’s population.

Antisemitism surged in New York and globally after the October 2023 invasion of Israel. The rate has decreased in recent months, although it was unclear if the decline was due to policies, changes in the Middle East, or other factors.

New York’s leadership, governing the city with the world’s largest Jewish population, has a “unique responsibility” in combating hatred of Jews, the report said.

The 80-page report, the first released by the office, described antisemitism’s evolution since Jews first arrived in New York in 1654. The governor at the time, Peter Stuyvesant, sought to expel the Jewish refugees, calling Jews a “deceitful race” and enemies of Jesus Christ.

“This founding episode established a pattern: a community contributing to the city’s development while facing regular discrimination,” the report said.

“Antisemitism has persistently adapted to each era while maintaining its essential character: targeting Jews based on religion, ethnicity, and connection to the Land of Israel,” the report said.

The document drew implicit comparisons with Mamdani,........

© The Times of Israel