3 days ago
Stringer pushes plan 'predict and prevent' antisemitic attacks
Former NYC Comptroller Scott Stringer insists he'll crack down on antisemitism if elected mayor by using tech to help authorities 'predict and prevent' biased attacks before they happen.
The longshot mayoral candidate rolled out his plans Saturday to partner with the Anti-Defamation League on the initiative while addressing members of the Congregation Kehilath Jeshurun synagogue on Manhattan's Upper East Side.
'My new initiative would use advanced monitoring tools to scour social media posts following during or after international emergencies,' — especially those involving Israel or Jewish institutions,' claimed Stringer, a devout Jew and vocal Zionist.
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4 Former NYC Comptroller Scott Stringer is planning to partner with the Anti-Defamation League on an initiative — if elected mayor — that he claims will help authorities crack down on antisemitism by using tech to 'predict and prevent' biased attacks before they happen.
Paul Martinka
'It would flag content that incites violence or signals coordinated threats. It would provide the tools for law enforcement, community leaders, and institutions like this one to act before tragedy strikes.'
Stringer, soon heading into the June 24 Democratic primary, insisted his initiative — which would be overseen by the NYPD and Office of Emergency Management — is 'not about surveillance of [dissenting] opinions, or about setting up databases or lists of people who don't agree with us.'
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'It is about surfacing potential danger before it becomes real violence,' he pointed out.
4 Stringer revealed his plan to tackle anti-Israel hate Saturday at the Congregation Kehilath Jeshurun synagogue on Manhattan's Upper East Side.
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The ADL oversees what it boasts is a 'first-of-its kind interactive and customizable map' that helps users detail 'specific incidents of hate, extremism, antisemitism and terrorism by state and nationwide.'
The 'H.E.A.T Map' allows users to better understand 'tactics extremists use, compare activity by type and/or state and access and download raw data,' according to the ADL.
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Although Jewish New Yorkers make up about 10% of the city's population, they were the target of over 62% of total hate crimes in the first quarter of 2025.
4 New York University students and pro-Israeli supporters rally in April 2024 across the street from where pro-Palestinian students and supporters rally outside the NYU Stern School of Business building.
AP
4 Stringer insisted his initiative — which would be overseen by the NYPD and Office of Emergency Management — is 'not about surveillance of [dissenting] opinions, or about setting up databases or lists of people who don't agree with us.'
Robert Miller
'The pattern, by now, is painfully familiar,' added Stringer.
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'Major incidents in and around Israel set off a torrent of online hatred,' he said, referring to Hamas' October 7, 2023 terror attack on Israel that set off the ongoing war in Gaza.
'Jewish schools, synagogues, and cultural centers face waves of threats. Our families – whether it's young children at school or elders walking in or out of shul, are in the crosshairs.
'The hate might start online, but it doesn't stay there,' he said.
