Mamdani Scraps Israel Boycott Ban, IHRA Definition in First Days as NYC Mayor

By Romana Rubeo

In one of his first actions as mayor, Zohran Mamdani revoked Israel-related policies introduced under Eric Adams, prompting a sharp response from Israeli officials.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has revoked a set of Israel-related executive orders issued by his predecessor, a move that has drawn sharp criticism from Israeli officials and pro-Israel advocacy groups while being welcomed by civil liberties and pro-Palestinian activists.

According to CNN, the revocations were part of Mamdani’s first round of executive actions, which also focused on housing and governance reforms.

Among the measures overturned were directives barring city agencies from participating in boycotts or divestment initiatives targeting Israel and the formal adoption of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism.

Who is Zohran Mamdani?

Mamdani, a democratic socialist and former New York State Assembly member, ran on a platform centered on housing justice, civil liberties, and opposition to what he has described as the misuse of state power to suppress political speech.

He won the New York City mayoral election on November 4. He has been a consistent critic of Israeli policies toward Palestinians and has publicly defended the right to boycott Israel as a legitimate, nonviolent form of political expression.

As reported by The New York Times, Mamdani has repeatedly distinguished between combating antisemitism as a form of racism and opposing the use of government policy to conflate criticism of Israel with hatred of Jews.

During his legislative career, he supported efforts to prevent New York-based charities from funding Israeli settlement activity in the occupied West Bank.

Mamdani also made history at his inauguration by becoming New York City’s first Muslim mayor, swearing his oath of office on the Quran.

What the Revoked Orders Represented

The executive orders Mamdani revoked were signed by former Mayor Eric Adams in the final months of his administration, following his federal indictment and amid mounting political pressure.

According to The New York Times, Adams framed the measures as necessary safeguards for Jewish communities, particularly amid rising reports of antisemitic incidents nationwide.

One of the most controversial directives was the adoption of the IHRA definition of antisemitism, a framework that includes examples critics say blur the line between antisemitism and opposition to Zionism or Israeli state policy.

As The Guardian reported, the definition has increasingly been challenged by human rights organizations, Jewish groups, and legal scholars who argue it has been used to suppress pro-Palestinian advocacy, particularly on university campuses and within public institutions.

Another revoked order prohibited New York City agencies from engaging in boycotts or divestment related to Israel, effectively embedding a foreign policy position into municipal governance.

Civil liberties advocates cited by CNN argued that the measure raised serious First Amendment concerns and restricted the city’s ability to align with international human rights campaigns.

Israeli and Pro-Israel Reactions

Israeli officials responded with unusually heated rhetoric to Mamdani’s decision. According to The Guardian, Israel’s foreign ministry accused the new mayor of encouraging antisemitism, claiming that the rollback of the IHRA definition and boycott restrictions amounted to what it described as “antisemitic gasoline on an open fire.”

Pro-Israel advocacy organizations in the United States echoed those criticisms. As reported by CNN and The New York Times, several groups warned that rescinding the orders would weaken institutional responses to antisemitism and send what they described as a dangerous political signal.

At the same time, a number of progressive Jewish organizations rejected that framing, arguing that equating criticism of Israel with antisemitism undermines genuine efforts to combat hatred and racism. CNN reported that some Jewish groups viewed Mamdani’s actions as a necessary correction to policies that curtailed political expression rather than protected communities.

Responding to the backlash, Mamdani said his administration would continue to address antisemitism as a real and serious threat while rejecting the politicization of Jewish safety.

According to The New York Times, he confirmed that New York City’s Office to Combat Antisemitism would remain in place, emphasizing that protecting civil liberties and confronting hate are not mutually exclusive goals.

(The Palestine Chronicle)

– Romana Rubeo is an Italian writer and the managing editor of The Palestine Chronicle. Her articles appeared in many online newspapers and academic journals. She holds a Master’s Degree in Foreign Languages and Literature and specializes in audio-visual and journalism translation.