Two pro-business groups have launched an alliance in New York City aimed at protecting Jewish and Israeli-affiliated companies amid rising anti-Zionist activism and policy changes under Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
The New York-Israeli Chamber of Commerce Coalition, backed by the influential New York State Chamber of Commerce, and the Greater New York Chamber of Commerce, said it will work to safeguard firms from discrimination, support job creation, and defend their economic contributions to the city, the New York Post reported Monday.
"The free enterprise system that made New York City strong is at risk," Al Kinel, president of the coalition, told the Post.
Leaders said rising anti-Zionist sentiment and a correlated increase in unsafe conditions for employees and customers have made the initiative necessary.
The move comes after Mamdani, the city's first Muslim mayor and a vocal critic of Israel, reversed previous city policies supporting the Jewish state on his first day in office.
He repealed executive orders that barred city officials from engaging in boycotts or divestment targeting Israel.
He also withdrew the city's adoption of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism, which had been put in place under former Mayor Eric Adams.
Coalition leaders argue the policy shifts have coincided with an uptick in protests and vandalism directed at Jewish and Israeli businesses, including demands by some employees at Israeli-linked companies to cut ties with Israel.
The group said there are more than 670 Israeli-founded business establishments in New York City, including at least 20 companies valued at more than $1 billion, which together provide tens of thousands of jobs and substantial tax revenue, according to the Post.
The coalition stressed that protecting these firms is crucial to maintaining the city's reputation as a global economic hub and preserving diverse investment.
Guy Franklin, founder and chief executive officer of Israeli Mapped in NY, highlighted the role of Israeli tech companies as part of the city's broader innovation ecosystem.
"These companies aren't on the sidelines; they are an integral part of New York's tech ecosystem," Franklin told the Post.
Other coalition members, including Heather Mulligan of The Business Council of New York State and Mark Jaffe of the Greater New York Chamber of Commerce, emphasized to the Post that economic discrimination based on political agendas could jeopardize jobs and future growth.
The business community's action follows broader local responses to rising antisemitism.
City Council Speaker Julie Menin recently announced a task force to combat antisemitism, citing concerns about hate crimes targeting Jewish New Yorkers.
That initiative is separate from a city Office to Combat Antisemitism that Mamdani has yet to launch.
Critics of the mayor's policy reversals, including political leaders and advocacy groups, have framed the changes as contributing to an environment that conflates criticism of Israel with broader hostility toward Jewish residents and enterprises, according to the Post.
Monitoring groups such as the Anti-Defamation League have launched trackers of Mamdani's actions related to antisemitism and anti-Zionism.
The coalition plans to push for reinstatement of policies that explicitly protect Israelis and Jews from discriminatory business practices while promoting open dialogue on economic inclusion amid shifting political dynamics in New York City, according to the Post.
Michael Katz ✉
Michael Katz is a Newsmax reporter with more than 30 years of experience reporting and editing on news, culture, and politics.
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