New York Mayor revokes Israel-related executive orders
Newly inaugurated New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has revoked several executive orders signed by his predecessor Eric Adams, including measures related to Israel and anti-Semitism, reports a Qazinform News Agency correspondent.
Mamdani signed a directive annulling all executive orders issued by Adams after Sept. 26, 2024, the date Adams was indicted by a federal grand jury on corruption charges. “That was a date that marked a moment when many New Yorkers decided politics held nothing for them,” Mamdani said, explaining the rationale behind the move.
Among the revoked measures were orders recognizing the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism and other restricting city agencies from boycotting or divesting from Israel.
The decision prompted sharp criticism from the Israel Foreign Ministry, which stated on X: “On his very first day as @NYCMayor, Mamdani shows his true face. He scraps the IHRA definition of antisemitism and lifts restrictions on boycotting Israel. This isn’t leadership. It’s antisemitic gasoline on an open fire.”
At the same time, the New York chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations welcomed the revocation, describing the IHRA definition as “an attack on free speech.”
The Israel related orders had been a defining element of Adams’ approach, including his warning during a visit to Israel that Jewish New Yorkers should be “concerned” about a Mamdani-led administration. Mamdani, who supports the creation of a Palestinian state and has criticized Israeli government policies, has taken a contrasting stance.
Mamdani’s office confirmed that the city’s Office to Combat Antisemitism will remain in place but will be reorganized to “identify and develop efforts to eliminate antisemitism and anti-Jewish hate crime.”
Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that Zohran Mamdani had been sworn in just before midnight on January 1 as New York City mayor, becoming the first Muslim and South Asian to lead the United States’ largest city after taking the oath of office on the Quran.
