New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani moved quickly after taking office Thursday, issuing an executive order that wiped out a broad slate of directives enacted under former Mayor Eric Adams, including the city’s adoption of an antisemitism definition that treats certain criticism of Israel as antisemitic.
Mamdani rescinded all executive orders issued by Adams after Sept. 26, 2024, the date Adams was indicted on corruption charges, with his campaign describing the action as a reset for the new administration. The rollback nullified Adams’s decision to require city agencies to apply the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism, which had been adopted in June.
The revocation also eliminated Adams-era measures opposing the boycott of Israel. Another rescinded order directed the NYPD to review its handling of protests at houses of worship, though Mamdani later issued a separate order containing similar guidance. The Office to Combat Antisemitism established under Adams was left in tact.
The changes come as the Anti-Defamation League recently raised concerns about ties between some Mamdani appointees and anti-Zionist groups, including a remark attributed to one appointee comparing Zionists to Nazis. Mamdani responded that criticism of the Israeli government should not be conflated with antisemitism, arguing that the ADL’s report blurs that distinction and distracts from rising antisemitic threats.
