Questions about U.S. police relationships with foreign security agencies have drawn renewed attention as local officials face pressure to explain how those ties affect policy at home. In New York City, that debate has centered on Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who again declined to give a direct answer when pressed on whether the NYPD would continue visits to Israel for training.
Mamdani declined to directly answer a question about NYPD travel to Israel
The latest exchange came after earlier campaign scrutiny over Mamdani’s remarks tying NYPD policing to Israeli military influence. According to Jewish Telegraphic Agency’s July 1, 2025 review of Mamdani’s public comments, Politico reporter Jeff Coltin asked him whether he would maintain the NYPD’s office in Israel. Mamdani responded, “My focus is here on the NYPD office in New York City,” rather than stating directly whether the overseas post or related travel would continue.
That answer followed months of attention on Mamdani’s earlier 2023 comment that when “the boot of the NYPD is on your neck, it’s been laced by the IDF,” a line resurfaced during the mayoral campaign. The same JTA report said the comment referred to a long-running debate over exchanges between U.S. police departments and Israeli police or military officials. Critics of those exchanges have argued they import aggressive tactics, while defenders have said that claim is unsupported and unfairly singles out Israel.
The question also landed in a broader campaign environment in which Mamdani was repeatedly pressed on Israel-related issues beyond city governance. In the June 4, 2025 Democratic mayoral primary debate, according to a transcript published by Rev and reporting from City & State, Mamdani was asked whether he would visit Israel as mayor and answered by saying he would focus on Jewish New Yorkers across the five boroughs rather than committing to such a trip.
For New York City, the practical issue is whether the mayor intends to preserve, scale back or end NYPD relationships in Israel. What is confirmed is that the department has had a longstanding presence tied to counterterrorism work in Israel, and past city officials have publicly referenced detectives stationed there. What is not yet known is whether Mamdani plans any formal policy change, because neither City Hall nor the NYPD has publicly released a detailed new policy on overseas liaison posts or Israel-related training.
That uncertainty matters in a city where policing, antisemitism and protests around Israel have all been major public concerns. In a May 2026 City Hall briefing on security for the Israel Day Parade, Mamdani said he would not attend the parade but said his administration had a responsibility to ensure the safety of “each and every New Yorker.” NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch, appearing with him, confirmed that the department was coordinating with local, state and federal partners for the event.
The city has also not published a comprehensive public accounting of how often NYPD personnel currently travel to Israel for training, what programs remain active, or whether those trips are funded by city money or outside organizations. Without that information, New Yorkers can confirm that the issue remains live politically, but not the exact operational scale of any current exchange.
The controversy is rooted in overlapping debates that long predate Mamdani’s mayoralty. One is over police training and counterterrorism strategy after the Sept. 11 attacks, when U.S. law enforcement agencies expanded international partnerships, including with Israeli counterparts. Another is over how Israel-related politics shape New York elections in a city with the largest Jewish population in the United States.
Mamdani’s critics have used his past remarks to question his approach to public safety and Jewish community concerns. Supporters, by contrast, have argued that questions about Israel and police exchanges are often used to test his politics rather than clarify specific city policy. The June 2025 debate illustrated that dynamic, with moderators pressing him first on a visit to Israel and then on whether he supported Israel as a Jewish state.
For residents, the immediate takeaway is narrower than the rhetoric surrounding the issue. Mamdani has not publicly committed to ending NYPD trips to Israel, but he also has not directly said they would continue. Until City Hall or the department issues a formal policy statement, the status of future NYPD training visits to Israel remains unresolved, even as the mayor continues to emphasize that his focus is on policing and safety within New York City.