Mamdani defends scrapping antisemitism protections as Jewish groups sound alarm

New York City’s newly sworn-in mayor, Zohran Mamdani, argued Friday that the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) widely accepted definition of antisemitism does not actually protect Jewish New Yorkers, amid the backlash he is facing over new Day 1 executive orders that have angered many Jews and civil rights groups.

The self-described democratic socialist also rejected suggestions that the timing of his executive orders, which came just hours after he was sworn in, was illustrative of what critics allege is Mamdani’s record of hostility toward Israel and the Jewish community.

The new mayor’s Day 1 directives included lifting the ban on city institutions boycotting or withdrawing from Israel and ending the city’s adoption of the IHRA definition of antisemitism, which was initiated by former mayor Eric Adams.

“When we talk about the IHRA definition that you asked about, you know, protecting New York Jews will be a focus of my administration, and I also know that some of the leading Jewish organizations, as you said, have great concerns about that definition,” Mamdani said at a Friday afternoon news conference in Brooklyn, in response to questions about his executive orders. he said.

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“What we’re going to do is actually fulfill our commitment to protecting Jewish New Yorkers in a way that can actually deliver that,” he added, before moving on to another question.

Asked about criticism of the pace of executive orders aimed at removing protections against anti-Semitism in New York City, Mamdani did not answer the question directly.

“As the new mayor of a city, you are required to sign a continuation of all previous executive orders, or a rescission or replacement of all of them. And so, what we did was sign an executive order that continued every executive order that came before the moment our former mayor was impeached, which was a moment when many New Yorkers further lost faith in New York City politics and the ability of city government to truly prioritize the needs of the people,” Mamdani said. “And what we’re going to do now is usher in this new era of protecting every single New Yorker and serving those same New Yorkers in a way they haven’t seen in previous administrations.”

Former New York Mayor Eric Adams signed two executive orders during his term aimed at combating antisemitism and preventing city funds from supporting the anti-Israel Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement. However, Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who was newly sworn in as part of the Day 1 protests, canceled these orders, claiming that he wanted to follow the Adams administration and open a clean slate. (Getty Images / AP Images)

Mamdani’s responses at Brooklyn’s Grand Army Plaza came shortly after a number of civil rights and pro-Jewish organizations doubled down on criticism of how Mamdani’s Day 1 directives affected the Jewish community.

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“We are deeply disturbed that Mayor Mamdani weakened protections to combat anti-Semitism on his first day in office,” the New York and New Jersey chapter of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) said in a statement Friday. he said.

The group, along with other Jewish groups in the New York area, issued a joint statement opposing Mamdani’s executive orders.

“Rescinding these executive orders eliminates key tools to combat antisemitism, including BDS-focused efforts aimed at demonizing, delegitimizing and isolating the world’s only Jewish state,” the ADL added.

Zohran Mamdani faced backlash from the Jewish community for her Day 1 executive orders affecting Jewish New Yorkers. (Andres Kudacki/Bastien Ohier/Hans Lucas via Getty Images)

In addition to Mamdani’s executive order rescinding “all executive orders issued on or after September 26, 2024” that include measures affecting the Jewish community, the new mayor also announced a second executive order on Day 1 creating five new deputy mayor positions in his administration.

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Also on Friday, Mamdani announced another new executive order, shortly after he vowed to create a new “Office of Mass Engagement” aimed at prioritizing and centralizing city government’s public comment and feedback mechanisms to help New Yorkers stay engaged in politics in the Big Apple.