By 5 Towns Central Staff

New York City (August 5, 2026) — The U.S. Department of Justice has confirmed it is actively investigating allegations of antisemitic discrimination and hate crimes in New York City, with the Trump administration requesting information from Mayor Zohran Mamdani regarding what it describes as the possible unequal treatment of Jewish residents.

The federal inquiry follows last month’s stabbing attack on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, where police say 51-year-old Raul Morales allegedly shouted “Allahu Akbar” while attacking a frum Jewish man and an Asian man. The incident intensified concerns among Jewish leaders, many of whom argue that rising antisemitism in the city has been fueled by increasingly hostile rhetoric surrounding Israel.

According to the NYPD, reported hate crimes have increased this year, with antisemitic incidents accounting for more than half of all bias-related offenses recorded citywide.

Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon, who heads the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, recently met with Dov Hikind, founder of Americans Against Antisemitism, to discuss concerns raised by members of New York’s Jewish community. Following that meeting, the Justice Department sent a formal letter to Mayor Mamdani seeking information about allegations that Jewish New Yorkers have been treated unequally by the city.

The Justice Department said its Civil Rights Division is continuing to investigate and prosecute antisemitic hate crimes across the country. Hikind said the department is taking the issue seriously and that the letter requests the mayor respond to concerns regarding the city’s handling of antisemitism.

Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the Anti-Defamation League, has also criticized Mamdani’s rhetoric on Israel, arguing that repeated accusations against the Jewish state can contribute to a climate in which antisemitic violence becomes more likely. Greenblatt recently pointed to reports that a suspect accused of attacking a Florida synagogue had shared one of Mamdani’s videos on social media before the incident.

Mayor Mamdani has repeatedly rejected claims that he is antisemitic, saying he condemns antisemitism and has expanded city funding for hate-crime prevention and community safety initiatives. His supporters argue that criticism of Israeli government policies should not be conflated with hostility toward Jewish people.