New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani revoked all executive orders issued by his predecessor, Eric Adams, since September 2024, to cover for his revocation of the orders related to combating antisemitism and Israel, the New York Times reported.
According to the report, Mamdani had always intended to get rid of the orders recognizing the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism and prohibiting mayoral appointees and agency staff from boycotting and disinvesting from Israel, but his advisers worried that revoking those two orders would anger Jewish groups after he had attempted to reassure Jewish New Yorkers that he would take antisemitism seriously.
Mamdani's lawyers presented him with two options: rescinding all executive orders issued by former Mayor Adams in 2025, or going through Adams' orders one by one and deciding which to rescind on a case-by-case basis. Mamdani chose a variation of the second option, rescinding all orders issued by Adams since his indictment on corruption charges in September 2024.
This allowed him to claim that the cancellation of the executive orders was merely an issue of "good governance," according to the report.
Jewish leaders in the US condemned Mamdani's cancellation of the two executive orders. William Daroff, CEO of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish organizations, stated: "Mayor Mamdani's decision to cancel New York's adoption of the IHRA definition of antisemitism, along with related presidential orders aimed at addressing antisemitic discrimination, is a troubling indicator of the direction he is leading the city, just one day after taking office."
"Its cancellation reduces New York's ability to identify and respond to antisemitism at a time when the number of incidents continues to rise. New York City should clearly lead in moral integrity and determination in confronting antisemitism. This decision signals the opposite direction," Daroff warned.
Minister of Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism Amichai Chikli also criticized Mamdani.
“It is no coincidence that one of Mayor Mamdani’s first actions was an attempt to cancel the IHRA definition of antisemitism. He knows very well that, according to that definition, he himself falls under the category of antisemitic," Chikli said. "Instead of confronting reality, he is trying to change the rules."
"It does not stop there. At the same time, he is working to lift the ban on boycotts of Israel and to erase official statements made by his predecessor, a friend of Israel, Eric Adams, regarding antisemitism in New York. This is a systematic attempt to erase the fight against antisemitism and to legitimize extremist positions under the guise of social justice. The fact that such moves are taking place in New York City, the city with the largest Jewish population in the world outside of Israel, is a serious warning sign," added Chikli.