New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani declined to say this week whether the NYPD will go ahead with a planned autumn trip to Israel to meet the Israeli national police for training, drawing scrutiny as Jewish leaders and elected officials voice concerns about safety and rhetoric in the city.
- Mayor Zohran Mamdani declined to say whether the NYPD will proceed with a planned fall trip to Israel, deferring to the City Council speaker (JTA).
- Senior NYPD officials have previously visited Israel for counterterrorism and antisemitism training (JTA).
- Rabbis in a closed meeting with Mamdani expressed concern that his rhetoric affects Jewish safety; one rabbi said he will judge the mayor by safety results (JTA).
- A Siena University poll (Aug. 3–6) found 26% of Jewish New Yorkers view Mamdani favorably and 66% unfavorably, margin of error ±4.2 points (JTA).
- Assemblyman Michael Novakhov filed a DOJ complaint asking whether the city and state met federal civil-rights obligations in response to rising hate crimes (JTA).
What Mamdani said
When asked Wednesday by City & State reporter Fariha Rahman whether the NYPD would continue with plans to visit Israel, Mamdani replied, “I don’t know what the City Council’s plans are. They’re an independent body, and I’ll leave it to the speaker to answer that question,” according to a report by the Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA).
Background: NYPD training visits to Israel
Senior NYPD officials have in the past travelled to Israel for counterterrorism and antisemitism training, the JTA report notes. The current discussion concerns a planned fall trip for NYPD personnel to meet with the Israeli national police, though Mamdani did not confirm whether that trip will proceed.
Responses from Jewish leaders and officials
Rabbis who attended a closed-door meeting with the mayor said they raised concerns about how his rhetoric has affected Jewish safety. Rabbi Jon Leener told JTA he will judge the mayor and his administration on the results they achieve “around making Jewish New Yorkers feel safe.”
Rabbi Chaim Steinmetz, who was not invited to that roundtable, criticized the selection of participants and told JTA the mayor should have coordinated with the New York Board of Rabbis; Steinmetz said Mamdani appeared to choose “a group of people that he thought might be more congenial to his particular politics,” per the JTA account.
Separately, New York State Assemblyman Michael Novakhov filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division asking whether the city and state met federal obligations in their response to rising hate crimes against Jewish New Yorkers, the JTA report says. Novakhov told the BK Reader that government has a responsibility to protect Jewish New Yorkers and cited recent assaults on visibly Jewish individuals.
Political context and polling
The JTA also reported new Siena University polling showing low favorability for Mamdani among Jewish New Yorkers: 26% view him favorably while 66% view him unfavorably. The poll was conducted Aug. 3–6 among 811 likely New York voters and carried a margin of error of ±4.2 percentage points, according to JTA.
Other outlets have reported sharp criticism of Mamdani on different fronts: a commentary summarized in the provided materials shows the NYPD union and allied voices sharply criticizing the mayor’s public statements about Israel and his calls for protests during Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s planned visit to New York, arguing such rhetoric could increase risks for officers and residents. That account offers a strongly partisan view and includes characterizations of the mayor’s motives; it is not a JTA report and reflects opinionated commentary rather than neutral reporting.
What is clear and what remains unresolved
- Clear: Mamdani declined to answer a direct question about whether the planned NYPD trip to Israel will occur and referred the question to the City Council speaker, per JTA.
- Clear: Senior NYPD officers have travelled to Israel previously for counterterrorism and antisemitism training, per JTA.
- Unresolved: Whether the specific fall training visit will proceed; the mayor did not confirm it and indicated the City Council is an independent actor.
- Unresolved: How the mayor’s rhetoric is affecting on-the-ground safety—rabbis in a closed meeting expressed concern, and an elected official has asked the DOJ to review the city’s response, but there is no independent assessment in the available reporting tying the mayor’s words to measured changes in hate-crime trends.
Implications for the city and the NYPD
If the NYPD trip to Israel is postponed or cancelled, city officials and community leaders may debate whether such international training is essential for preparedness against antisemitic violence and other threats. Conversely, proceeding with the travel could prompt political scrutiny from critics who link the mayor’s statements to community safety concerns.
The JTA coverage suggests the issue is part of wider tensions between Mamdani and many in New York’s Jewish community. The Siena poll indicates significant unfavorable views among Jewish voters, which could influence municipal politics and community relations going forward.
Timeline of related events (from sources provided)
- Past: Senior NYPD officials have previously travelled to Israel for counterterrorism and antisemitism training (JTA).
- Aug. 3–6, 2026: Siena University poll conducted showing low favorability for Mamdani among Jewish New Yorkers (JTA).
- Aug. 10, 2026: Rabbis held a closed-door meeting with Mayor Mamdani to raise concerns about rhetoric and safety (reported by JTA).
- Aug. 12, 2026: Mamdani told a City & State reporter he did not know the City Council’s plans regarding the NYPD Israel training and deferred to the council speaker (JTA reported Aug. 12).
- Aug. 2026: Assemblyman Michael Novakhov filed a DOJ complaint asking whether federal civil-rights obligations were met in responses to rising hate crimes against Jewish New Yorkers (JTA).
What to watch next
Key developments to follow include an explicit statement from Mayor Mamdani or the City Council speaker about the planned Israel trip, any formal response from the NYPD about whether it will proceed, and findings from the Department of Justice if it decides to investigate the complaint filed by Assemblyman Novakhov. Community leaders may also seek additional meetings or public forums to address safety concerns.
Reporting note
This article is based on reporting by the Jewish Telegraphic Agency and related coverage included in the provided evidence. Quotations and poll figures are attributed to JTA’s reporting; other commentary cited reflects opinion pieces in the supplied materials and is identified as such.