New York City — Within hours of being sworn in on Thursday, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani signed two executive orders undoing key decisions made by his predecessor, Eric Adams, that had placed restrictions on the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement and formally adopted a contested definition of antisemitism.
The first order rescinds a December directive issued under Adams that prohibited city departments and affiliated institutions from participating in boycotts or divestment initiatives targeting ‘Israel’. That policy had been widely criticized by civil liberties groups as an infringement on political expression.
The second order revokes a June 2025 decision adopting the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism, a framework opponents argue conflates legitimate political criticism of ‘Israel’ with antisemitic conduct.
Selective Reversal
Despite rolling back those policies, Mamdani chose to retain the New York City Office to Combat Antisemitism, which was established by the Adams administration in May. The office will continue to operate under the new mayor’s leadership, signaling a distinction between opposing hate crimes and rejecting contested political definitions.
International and Domestic Reaction
The ‘Israeli’ Foreign Ministry responded to the developments by suggesting the move could indicate a broader recalibration of New York City’s relationship with ‘Israel’ and Jewish institutions over the coming four years.
In the United States, the decision drew swift criticism from several Jewish organizations. William Daroff, CEO of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, characterized the reversal as a “troubling indicator” of Mamdani’s governing approach.
Supporters of the move, however, argue that it restores protections for political speech while maintaining mechanisms to combat antisemitism through existing legal and institutional channels.
Early Signal of Policy Direction
Mamdani’s actions represent one of the first substantive policy signals of his administration and suggest a deliberate effort to distinguish between opposition to antisemitism and restrictions on activism related to foreign policy.
As the city’s first Muslim and South Asian mayor, Mamdani’s early decisions are expected to be closely scrutinized both domestically and internationally, particularly on issues involving civil liberties, foreign policy discourse, and community relations.