Mayor Zohran Mamdani debuted a sweeping plan Tuesday to combat antisemitism and hate crimes against Jewish people in New York City, moving to assuage concerns from critics who see his steadfast denunciations of Israel as antisemitic.

The strategy includes increased security funding for synagogues, an increased focus on folding Jewish history into public school education, and a pledge to highlight important Jewish cultural and religious sites in the mayor’s day-to-day governance of the city.

Mamdani said the overarching goal of the initiative was to “confront the scourge of antisemitism now and in the future,” noting that Jewish people make up only 12% of the city’s population but are the victims of around half the city’s reported hate crimes.

“This is not only unacceptable, it’s something we all have an obligation to change. And City Hall will lead the way,” he said in a video.

Mamdani, a Democrat and the city’s first Muslim mayor, has long been a vocal supporter of Palestinian civil rights and has accused the Israeli government of committing a genocide in Gaza. He has said his criticism of Israel does not amount to antisemitism, though his opponents have argued his heated rhetoric around the conflict has made Jewish people feel unsafe in the city.

The plan announced Tuesday amounts to the mayor’s most forceful attempt to address concerns over antisemitism, with Mamdani promising to “build a city where Jewish New Yorkers are not only safe but celebrated.”

City Hall will increase grant funding to community organizations that focus on hate crime prevention and survivor support. It will also work with public schools to address complaints of discrimination and launch public awareness campaigns on the city’s human rights law and how to report suspected discrimination.