New NYC Mayor Mamdani starts tenure by revoking IHRA antisemitism definition & ban on Israel boycotts

Shortly after taking office as the new mayor of New York City, Zohran Mamdani began his tenure with several moves highlighting his hostile attitude toward Israel, reinforcing concerns voiced by many Jewish New Yorkers ahead of his election.

Mamdani was sworn in as New York’s first Muslim mayor early on Thursday, symbolizing the transition to a new chapter in the city’s history by placing his hand on two Qurans.

Later on Thursday, he revoked all executive orders that his predecessor, Eric Adams, had implemented since he was indicted for corruption in September 2024, although the charges were eventually dismissed.

Mamdani’s campaign said this was meant to ensure “a fresh start for the incoming administration.”

However, the move also canceled an order for the city’s authorities to use the IHRA definition of antisemitism, leaving law enforcement and educational bodies without clear criteria for identifying antisemitic incidents amid a rising wave of antisemitic hate crimes in the city.

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.

— Israel Foreign Ministry (@IsraelMFA) January 2, 2026

The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) Working Definition of Antisemitism has been widely adopted by governments, organizations and churches worldwide as a tool for identifying antisemitism. The definition has also drawn criticism from some who argue that it improperly categorizes certain criticism of Israel, as well as anti-Zionism, as antisemitic.

The definition includes the denial of the right to self-determination for the Jewish people. Mamdani has repeatedly refused to recognize Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state.

Another Adams-era order that was canceled targeted anti-Israel boycott movements like BDS (Boycott, Divest & Sanction), which Mamdani has previously supported publicly.

The ban that was implemented just last month prohibited mayoral agencies from discriminating against Israel, Israeli citizens, or individuals who are “associated with Israel,” including targeted divestment from bonds and other assets.

Another canceled order instructed the NYPD to reassess its handling of protests at houses of worship, a move that followed a recent anti-Israel demonstration outside a synagogue.

Mamdani’s opening salvo of moves was strongly criticized by Jewish organizations as well as the Israeli Foreign Ministry.

“On his very first day as NYC Mayor, 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 ministry charged.

William Daroff, CEO of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, told the Jewish News Syndicate that Mamdani’s moves are “a troubling indicator of the direction in which he is leading the city, just one day at the helm.”

“That concern is magnified by the overwhelming consensus behind the IHRA definition,” said Daroff.

“Two-thirds of U.S. states and the District of Columbia, major cities, more than 30 countries and hundreds of universities, sports organizations and governmental bodies rely on the IHRA working definition as the most authoritative and internationally accepted tool for identifying antisemitism.”

“Repealing it diminishes New York City’s ability to recognize and respond to antisemitism at a time when incidents continue to rise,” he said.

Despite the moves seen as hostile by Jews and Israelis, Mamdani vowed to work for all New Yorkers in his inaugural speech.

“I know there are some who view this administration with distrust or disdain,” he said. “I promise you this: if you are a New Yorker, I am your mayor.”

He said the New Yorkers he intends to represent will include “Russian Jewish immigrants in Brighton Beach,” before adding, “Palestinian New Yorkers in Bay Ridge who will no longer have to contend with a politics that speaks of universalism and then makes them the exception.”

In another worrying sign for his critics, the far-left populist vowed, “We will replace the frigidity of rugged individualism with the warmth of collectivism.”

“I was elected as a democratic socialist and I will govern as a democratic socialist,” he said. “I will not abandon my principles for fear of being deemed radical.”