6 hours ago
2
Israel’s foreign ministry has accused New York mayor Zohran Mamdani of pouring “antisemitic gasoline on an open fire” after he reversed a recent order by the outgoing mayor, Eric Adams.
“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,” the foreign ministry said in a post on X.
Mamdani revoked an Adams-era order that adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of antisemitism, which the previous administration said included “demonizing Israel and holding it to double standards as forms of contemporary antisemitism”.
Israel’s response came hours after Mamdani issued an order to rescind all executive orders that Adams issued after he was indicted on federal corruption charges in 2024 – charges that were later, controversially, dropped.
Mamdani’s office said the decision was to ensure “a fresh start for the incoming administration”.
One of Adams’s orders, now revoked, included prohibiting city officials overseeing the city pension system from making decisions in line with the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement, which Mamdani has said he supports.
A second order directed the New York police commissioner, currently Jessica Tisch, to evaluate proposals for regulating protest activity occurring close to houses of worship. It came after demonstrations outside an Upper East Side synagogue hosting an event promoting immigration to Israel sparked claims of antisemitism.
“New York City has always been this nation’s melting pot, but too often, over the last few years, we’ve seen those of Jewish ancestry be singled out and targeted,” Adams said last month, adding that the measures were aimed to “protect New Yorkers’ tax dollars and protect their right to practice their religion without harassment”.
The measures were seen as an effort to curb Mamdani, who has vowed to govern as a democratic socialist, and whose past comments about Israel, including a vow to divest New York from Israeli government bonds, have sparked some opposition.
But in his address on Thursday, Mamdani was careful to reassure Jewish New Yorkers, saying: “Where else could a Muslim kid like me grow up eating bagels and lox?”
He was sworn in on the Qu’ran by a Jewish New Yorker, Vermont senator Bernie Sanders. Also in attendance were Jewish religious leaders who had not endorsed Mamdani during his campaign.
“I know there are some who view this administration with distrust or disdain, or who see politics as permanently broken,” Mamdani said. “And while only action can change minds, I promise you this: if you are a New Yorker, I am your mayor. Regardless of whether we agree, I will protect you, celebrate with you, mourn alongside you, and never, not for a second, hide from you.”
After issuing his first set of executive orders, Mamdani said he would keep open the recently created Office to Combat Antisemitism. “That is an issue that we take very seriously,” he told reporters.
He made no similar assurances for supporting an Adams-era measure to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism, which broadly codifies anti-Zionism as antisemitic.
William Daroff, CEO of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish organizations, called that move “a troubling indicator of the direction in which he is leading the city, just one day at the helm”.
Daroff told the liberal-leaning Forward that the move “diminishes New York City’s ability to recognize and respond to antisemitism at a time when incidents continue to rise”.
