New NY business coalition aims to back Israeli companies amid concerns over Mamdani

Business leaders in New York announce a new coalition to support Israeli and Jewish businesses, amid concerns in the community over the administration of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a harsh critic of Israel.

The New York-Israel Chamber of Commerce Coalition aims to “protect the right to create, sustain and grow” businesses that were founded in Israel, have Israeli or Jewish owners, or are otherwise affiliated with Israel.

“These rights are being eroded by recent municipal policy changes in New York City as well as antisemitic incidents impacting local businesses and affecting New York’s business climate,” the group says in a statement.

New York is one of the main destinations for Israeli companies seeking to expand beyond their country’s small domestic market. A report late last year said that nearly 600 Israeli-founded companies have created more than 27,000 jobs in New York City, adding an estimated $12.4 billion in value to the city’s economy in 2024.

Israeli businesses in the city have been targeted by graffiti and employee demands that they disassociate from the Jewish state.

Mamdani, who took office last month, is a longtime supporter of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement targeting Israel. He has not announced any boycott policies as mayor, though on his first day in office, Mamdani revoked the city’s use of the IHRA definition of antisemitism, which covers some forms of anti-Israel rhetoric, as well as an order that opposed the anti-Israel boycott campaign.

The statement announcing the coalition’s launch does not name Mamdani directly.

The coalition, a nonprofit, says its members include the New York Israel Chamber of Commerce, the Business Council of New York State, Inc., the Greater New York Chamber of Commerce and the Israel America Chamber of Commerce. The coalition says its advocacy will cover both New York City and New York state, although the vast majority of Israeli businesses in the state are located in the five boroughs.

The coalition says its goals include strengthening security for businesses by implementing policies that will “protect Israelis from antisemitic business practices and other direct or implied threats”; promote regulations that will allow Israeli companies “to invest, hire, and grow on a level playing field”; and provide resources for Israeli tech.

“The free enterprise system that made New York City strong and encouraged many Israeli founders to select New York City for US operations is at risk,” says Al Kinel, the coalition’s president. “Beyond the economic damage, we are deeply alarmed by the correlation between these policies and the rise in unsafe conditions for our employees and customers.”