Mayor Mamdani criticized for scrapping pro-Israel city measures

On his very first day, Mayor Zohran Mamdani dropped a bombshell by dismantling key city policies that supported Israel and tackled antisemitism, the New York Post reported. 

Newly inaugurated Mayor Mamdani wasted no time on Friday, revoking or altering executive orders from former Mayor Eric Adams that barred city officials from boycotting Israel and adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism.

Among the casualties were Adams’ recent orders, including one that identified demonizing Israel as a form of modern antisemitism, and another preventing divestment from the Jewish state.

First-Day Moves Spark Immediate Backlash

Not content with just policy reversals, Mamdani’s team also wiped past posts about fighting antisemitism from the official mayoral social media account on the same day.

This isn’t just a paperwork shuffle—it’s a signal, and not a subtle one, that has Israeli officials, Jewish organizations, and even the Department of Justice sounding the alarm over the safety of Jewish New Yorkers.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry didn’t mince words, declaring, “This isn’t leadership. It’s antisemitic gasoline on an open fire.”

Critics Warn of Rising Dangers

That’s a scorching take, but when a city with one of the largest Jewish populations in the world starts peeling back protections, you can’t help but wonder if the heat’s about to get unbearable.

The Department of Justice, through Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Jarmeet Dhillon, fired off a stern warning: “We will be extremely vigilant @CivilRights as to ANY AND ALL violations of religious liberties in NYC.”

Local Jewish groups, including a coalition with UJA-Federation, echoed the concern, fearing these moves could jeopardize community safety while undermining any talk of inclusivity from the mayor’s office.

Political Pushback and Policy Promises

Republican leaders weren’t shy either, with figures like Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman and Brooklyn Councilwoman Inna Vernikov calling out Mamdani’s priorities and urging Governor Kathy Hochul to step in.

Mamdani, for his part, defended the reversals as a “clean slate” for his administration, promising to fight hate, including antisemitism, through funding prevention programs and promoting a universal approach to community relations.

Yet, critics like Jewish civil rights lawyer Rory Lancman argue that scrapping these guidelines strips away vital tools for protecting Jewish New Yorkers, leaving legal and physical safeguards dangerously thin.

State Protections and Lingering Questions

Some of Adams’ orders, like those bolstering the Office to Combat Antisemitism and NYPD responses to protests at religious sites, will reportedly be reissued with undisclosed changes, leaving many scratching their heads about what’s really coming.

Mamdani also amended an order on NYPD enforcement near religious sites to create protest-free zones, though the specifics of those tweaks remain unclear as of Friday morning.

While Governor Hochul’s office emphasized that state-level adoption of the IHRA definition keeps protections robust for Jewish New Yorkers, one has to ask: If city-level policies are crumbling, will state proclamations be enough to hold the line against a rising tide of division?