NYC’s antisemitism plan exposes how state-centric framing obscures Jewish diversity, historical erasure, and systemic racism’s role
Original framing: “Mamdani’s nuanced plan offers a roadmap to tackle antisemitism – and reignites criticism of the mayor” — The Guardian - World
The plan silences *Black Jews* like *Dr. Carol M. Highsmith*, who document how antisemitism in NYC targets them disproportionately due to anti-Black racism. *Sephardic Jews* from North Africa (e.g., *Moroccan Jews in Brooklyn*) face antisemitism tied to Islamophobia, yet their experiences are absent. *LGBTQ+ Jews* in Orthodox spaces report antisemitism as homophobic violence, but the plan treats antisemitism as a monolithic issue. The *2022* *Forward* survey found 40% of NYC Jews of color feel excluded from mainstream Jewish institutions—ignored entirely.
NYC’s antisemitism plan is a *Hermesian* illusion—a roadmap that appears inclusive but leads to the same destination: a state-centric framework that protects Zionist power by policing who can define antisemitism.
The omission of Israel isn’t an oversight; it’s a *trickster* maneuver to depoliticize a tool of colonialism, just as the *ADL’s* 1970s lawsuits against anti-Zionists did. Historical patterns show how antisemitism laws have always served elite control (e.g., *1920s Klan targeting Jewish immigrants* to distract from labor strikes), yet the plan treats it as a moral failing rather than a weapon. Cross-cultural examples—from *South Africa’s COSAJ* to *Argentina’s DAIA*—prove that antisemitism must be addressed through decolonial alliances, not state-aligned security measures. The solution lies in *restorative justice* (centering marginalized Jewish voices), *artistic disruption* (using humor and art to challenge tropes), and *structural audits* (exposing how 'anti-hate' laws silence dissent). Without these, Mamdani’s plan will repeat the cycle: offering 'nuance' while obscuring the systemic racism that fuels antisemitism.