Last week, New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani said his administration had reviewed whether New York City could execute the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He concluded that the city does not have the legal authority to do so, called on the federal government to execute the warrant instead, and said Netanyahu was “not welcome in New York City.” Those remarks came as New York was already facing record levels of antisemitic incidents.According to the Anti-Defamation League, the state recorded 1,160 antisemitic incidents in 2025, the highest number of any state, while physical assaults reached a record high. The recent stabbing of a Jewish man outside a synagogue during Tisha B’Av added to those concerns. Taken together, these events point to a troubling reality: Antisemitism is becoming increasingly visible in America’s largest city. Hatred rarely begins with violence. It grows through language, repetition, social hostility, and the gradual dehumanization of people.
I am an Emirati Muslim, and I am not writing about how America should govern itself. What I care about are the people. Over the years, I have met Americans from both political parties, as well as people who do not strongly identify with either side. I have found decent people who genuinely want what they believe is best for America, even when they disagree with one another. Disagreement is normal. Opinions, preferences, and even biases are part of any society. What is not normal is allowing those differences to become a reason to hate or dehumanize people who think differently.
