Tipsheet

The NYPD Is Investigating Another Antisemitic Incident at NYU

Amy Curtis
Amy Curtis  |  May 15, 2026 8:30 AM

In yet another disgusting display of antisemitism in New York City, a flag with two swastikas and the Start of David was raised above NYU's Grad Alley near Washington Park on Wednesday night. The flag was raised as students, graduates and their families walked through campus.

The flag was quickly removed, and the NYPD is looking for suspects. 

NYU condemned the display, calling it a "hateful symbol expressing antisemitism." The school also issued a statement.

It read, "We are shocked and deeply troubled that this hateful symbol expressing antisemitism was raised on a flagpole overlooking Washington Square Park. Campus safety responded immediately to remove it and we are working closely with the NYPD to identify whoever is responsible.“We are one community. We protect each other. And we will not let hate and division find a foothold on our campus."

This is just the latest in a long line of antisemitic displays in the city. Earlier this week, antisemitic mobs invaded Jewish neighborhoods and amassed outside synagogues to harass Jews in the city. That came the same day as The New York Times published a poorly sourced, outrageous op-ed accusing Israeli forces of training dogs to rape Palestinians. Keffiyeh-clad mobs also swarmed a synagogue on May 5, and swastikas were painted on homes and synagogues in Queens earlier this month, too.

Antisemitic incidents have skyrocketed under Mayor Zohran Mamdani's watch.

Despite this, Mamdani pretended to be outraged by the NYU flag.

"Our administration is committed to fighting antisemitism in all its forms and protecting the safety of Jewish New Yorkers," he wrote on X. "The NYPD Hate Crime Task Force is investigating this despicable act, and I am confident those responsible will be held accountable."

Antisemitism is a feature, not a bug, of Zohran Mamdani's administration. One of his first acts in office was to undo antisemitism legislation passed by his predecessor, Eric Adams, and Mamdani's first veto killed a bipartisan measure to crack down on antisemitism in the Big Apple. He also accused Jews at the Park East Synagogue of violating "international law" last fall when they attended a seminar on how to emigrate to Israel, after antisemitic mobs showed up and harassed them.

Governor Kathy Hochul also condemned the display.

"Antisemitism has no place in our state, on our campus, or in our communities," she wrote on X.

One NYU student, Davin Rabman, a rising junior, said, "I am deeply grateful to the NYU administration for their swift response in taking down the vile antisemitic flag, calling the NYPD, and launching a full investigation into this manner. Uncompromising action is essential for student safety, but seeing the Star of David defiled by swastikas during the graduation celebrations remains a stark and troubling reminder of what we are up against."

NYU was the site of pro-Hamas, pro-Palestine, antisemitic protests in the wake of the October 7, 2023, terror attacks. In 2024, antisemitic groups and professors shut down access to NYU's library during finals week, and dozens were arrested by the NYPD. Last fall, they canceled a Federalist Society event fearing antisemitic mobs, and they settled a lawsuit with a student who accused the school of having inadequate responses to the post-October 7 incident on campus. Last year, the Federal Taskforce to Combat Antisemitism paid NYU and other schools a visit over campus antisemitism.

Jewish students at NYU and Jews in New York City deserve to live, work, study, and worship in peace. However, the policies of Leftists have created fertile ground in which antisemitic protests and displays have flourished. This must come to an end.