Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic candidate and front-runner in the New York City mayoral race, will reverse incumbent Mayor Eric Adams' order to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism, the New York Post reported.
Mamdani spokesperson Dora Pekec stated: “A Mamdani administration will approach antisemitism in line with the Biden Administration’s National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism, a strategy that emphasizes education, community engagement, and accountability to reverse the normalization of antisemitism and promote open dialogue."
Mayor Adams signed an executive order in June to adopt the IHRA definition of antisemitism as part of his administration's efforts to combat the wave of antisemitism that followed in the wake of the Hamas massacre of October 7, 2023.
“Antisemitism is a vile disease that’s been spreading across our nation and our city. What’s worse, since Hamas’ terror attacks on October 7, 2023, we have seen this hateful rhetoric become normalized on our campuses, in our communities, and online as antisemitic propaganda far too often masquerades as ‘activism,’” Adams stated at the time.
NYPD statistics show that more than half of all hate crimes committed in New York City have targeted Jews, who make up a little more than ten percent of the city's population.
The IHRA definition, which has brought Jewish support and has been adopted by a majority of US states, includes examples of when supposed "criticism" of the State of Israel crosses the line into antisemitism, including dopted on May 26, 2016, as well as the 11 contemporary examples." These examples include "denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination, e.g., by claiming that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavor" and "holding Jews collectively responsible for actions of the State of Israel."
The definition states that criticism of Israel that is similar to the criticism of other states is not antisemitic.
Mamdani, a self-proclaimed Democratic Socialist, has a long history of anti-Israel activism. On October 8, 2023, immediately after the October 7 massacre, he criticized Israel rather than Hamas. He has also refused to condemn the use of the slogan "globalize the Intifada," widely considered a call for violence, especially against Jews.
He is also a supporter of the anti-Israel BDS movement and has vowed to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should Netanyahu enter New York City during his term as mayor.
Rabbi Joseph Potasnik, executive vice president of the New York Board of Rabbis, condemned Mamdani's plan to drop the IHRA definition, stating: “I’m afraid to hear what definition he will use…In his world, what does it take to be an antisemite? If you can’t condemn Hamas, what is the definition of antisemitism?"
Adams campaign spokesperson Todd Shapiro called Madani's rejection of the IHRA definition “shameful, dangerous, and deeply out of touch with the values of New Yorkers.”
“This definition was not dreamed up in a political backroom — it was adopted by the White House, embraced by governments across the globe, and put in place by Mayor Adams earlier this year to protect Jewish New Yorkers from the very real surge in antisemitic hate they face every single day,” Shapiro said.
A recent Quinnipiac University poll showed that Mamdani holds a commanding 22-point lead in the four-way New York City mayoral race.