Mamdani Evades Question of NYPD-Israel Training

Senior NYPD officials have, in recent years, traveled to Israel for training conferences by the Israeli National Police on counterterrorism and antisemitism. City Council Speaker Julie Menin has said that she expects such cooperation to continue should it be brought up in the council.

On Wednesday, City & State reporter Fariha Rahman asked Mayor Zohran Mamdani if there were plans to attend training this fall and whether his comments against Israeli politicians would create friction.

I don’t know what the City Council’s plans are,” Mamdani replied. “They’re an independent body, and I’ll leave it to the speaker to answer that question.”

The Israeli Police are part of the Ministry of National Security, headed by Itamar Ben-Gvir, a far-right extremist once convicted in Israel of supporting a terrorist organization.

Mamdani has clashed with the minister; when Ben-Gvir was rumored to be attending a conference on policing at the UN last month, the mayor released a statement saying New York is "a city of Justice. Itamar Ben-Gvir is NOT Welcome Here. If he steps foot in NYC , HE WILL BE ARRESTED." Many progressive Jewish groups planned to protest if he came, as well.

Ben-Gvir did not attend the conference.