Why can’t Mamdani’s antisemitism envoy define Jew hatred?

Lawmakers slammed NYC’s approach toward battling antisemitism as “crazy” after remarks by top mayoral official.

By World Israel News Staff/em>

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s envoy tasked with combating antisemitism gave an evasive response when asked to define the term during a City Council meeting on Wednesday.

Phylisa Wisdom, who was appointed by Mamdani in February, told council members that the administration does not use a formal working definition of antisemitism — something critics say is essential for accountability and for determining whether incidents qualify as anti-Jewish hate.

“The first thing I’ll say is that across city government, there is not a definition codified for any form of hate at all,” Wisdom said.

Pressed to clarify, she added that “the way that we combat hate, and that our colleagues at the NYPD address these incidents, is without a codified definition.”

Wisdom said the administration views antisemitism as falling “broadly in the universe of civil rights.”

Her remarks appeared to align with the position taken by Mamdani, who on his first day in office rescinded New York City’s adoption of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism. Mamdani justified the move by arguing that the IHRA definition conflates criticism of Israel with antisemitism.

Brooklyn Councilman Simcha Felder, who left the meeting following Wisdom’s response, sharply criticized the administration. He told the New York Post that a task force operating without a clear definition — led by someone unwilling to provide one — was an untenable situation.

“This is outrageous! Nuts! Crazy!” Felder said. “We have two people in the mayor’s office deciding on a case-by-case basis what constitutes antisemitism and hate. I have never seen an administration that can’t determine what hate or antisemitism is.”

Moshe Spern, president of United Jewish Teachers, who attended the meeting, also voiced concern. He told the Post that Wisdom’s remarks demonstrated that the Mamdani administration is not serious about addressing antisemitism in the city, which has surged since the Hamas-led October 7 massacres and the ensuing war.

“The Mayor’s Office to Combat Antisemitism is a token gesture to the Jewish community with zero action,” Spern said, adding that the office has not provided community leaders with a way to contact Wisdom to raise concerns.