NEW YORK CITY (VINnews)-The administration of Mayor Zohran Mamdani will not adopt a formal definition of antisemitism, relying instead on case-by-case assessments of incidents, city officials said Thursday.

Phylisa Wisdom, commissioner of the city’s Office to Combat Antisemitism, told a City Council task force that the administration does not view a codified definition as necessary. Cases will be evaluated individually based on evidence of “prejudice, violence and discrimination against Jews because they are Jewish,” she said.

The decision follows Mamdani’s repeal of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism, which had been adopted under former Mayor Eric Adams. The IHRA framework includes examples of anti-Israel rhetoric that cross into antisemitism, a stance critics — including anti-Israel activists — argue improperly equates political speech with bigotry.

At the hearing, council members pressed officials on how the city would distinguish anti-Zionism from antisemitism. NYPD representatives said such determinations would hinge on investigations into intent and that hate crime charges require clear proof of bias motivation against a protected group.

Councilmember Simcha Felder, a Brooklyn Democrat, sharply criticized the lack of a clear definition, calling it “unconscionable” and arguing it would impede the identification and prosecution of hate incidents. Felder ultimately walked out of the meeting in protest.

The debate comes amid statistics showing Jews remain the most frequently targeted group in New York City hate crimes. It also reflects a broader national divide over whether anti-Zionism should be viewed as a form of antisemitism.

Mamdani’s administration has faced repeated questions about its approach to antisemitism since taking office. Jewish community leaders and elected officials have expressed concern that the absence of the IHRA definition could weaken enforcement efforts at a time when antisemitic incidents remain elevated.