Newly elected New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is confronting significant criticism from former supporters following his controversial decision to retain Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch. The appointment has sparked outrage among pro-Palestinian advocacy groups who accuse Tisch of overseeing aggressive crackdowns on demonstrations supporting Palestine.
The advocacy organization Within Our Lifetime has circulated a strongly worded statement online declaring their firm opposition to the decision. The statement characterizes the retention of Tisch as ‘a political alignment with the NYPD’s legacy of racialized policing, surveillance, and repression,’ arguing it represents a departure from the justice-oriented values Mamdani championed during his campaign.
This condemnation has gained substantial traction, with dozens of pro-Palestinian groups endorsing the statement, including National Students for Justice in Palestine chapters at multiple academic institutions. Local community organizations that previously supported Mamdani’s mayoral bid have also joined the criticism, with groups such as Crown Heights Bites Back, Brooklyn Jail Support, and Bay Ridge Solidarity adding their signatures to the protest.
Commissioner Tisch, originally appointed by former Mayor Eric Adams in November 2024, previously directed the NYPD’s response to campus protests at institutions like Columbia University. These demonstrations, organized in solidarity with Palestinians following Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, resulted in over 100 student arrests by heavily equipped police officers.
The statement from protesting organizations highlights Tisch’s close association with the previous administration, noting that her reappointment ‘ensures the seamless continuation of Adams’s NYPD, defined by corruption, scandal, federal investigations, and violent crackdowns on protests.’
The controversy extends to Tisch’s personal background and professional decisions. As the daughter of Meryl and James Tisch (CEO of conglomerate Loews Corporation), she belongs to an influential Jewish-American family active in the NYC Police Foundation. This organization funds the NYPD’s liaison program with international police forces, including Israel.
Critics have pointed to what they describe as Tisch’s ‘intersection of the billionaire class, the NYPD’s global footprint, and zionism.’ The statement further questions Mamdani’s consistency, referencing his campaign promise to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should he visit NYC—a pledge he subsequently moderated.
Additional concerns focus on Tisch’s oversight of police training materials that identified traditional Palestinian symbols like keffiyehs and watermelons as antisemitic, despite their cultural significance and use in non-violent protest. Her October appearance at the Anti-Defamation League’s conference, where she defended Israel’s military actions in Gaza, has further fueled criticism from groups that accuse the ADL of surveilling Arab-American communities and conflating Palestinian rights advocacy with antisemitism.