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“I was elected as a democratic socialist, and I will govern as a democratic socialist. I will not abandon my principles for fear of being deemed radical.”
By United with Israel Staff
Within hours of taking office, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani moved swiftly to revoke several pro-Israel policies enacted under former Mayor Eric Adams, triggering sharp concern among Jewish and pro-Israel communities across the city.
Among the most consequential actions was the rollback of New York City’s adoption of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism, as well as the reversal of executive orders barring the city from engaging in business or pension investment decisions that discriminate against Israel.
Under Adams, the city had adopted the IHRA definition, which recognizes the denial of the Jewish people’s right to self-determination — including denying Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state — as a form of antisemitism. That framework had guided city agencies, schools, and law enforcement in identifying antisemitic conduct and rhetoric.
Mamdani argued that rescinding the IHRA definition was necessary to protect what he described as freedom of expression and the ability to criticize Israel. Critics, however, warn that the move removes a key safeguard against antisemitic rhetoric that had previously been deemed unacceptable in municipal institutions.
Also rescinded were executive orders prohibiting New York City agencies and pension boards from participating in politically motivated boycotts of Israel. Those orders had explicitly barred procurement or investment decisions rooted in anti-Israel discrimination.
Mamdani, who has previously declined to affirm Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state, defended his broader approach in remarks delivered Thursday at City Hall.
“We speak about this day as a new era,” he said. “And in order to fulfill that hope, we have to reckon with why so many New Yorkers have turned away from politics over the last few months, the last few years, the last few decades.”
“We will govern without shame and insecurity, making no apology for what we believe,” Mamdani added. “I was elected as a democratic socialist, and I will govern as a democratic socialist. I will not abandon my principles for fear of being deemed radical.”
Mamdani chose not to immediately shutter the Office to Combat Antisemitism, which was established by Adams, but its future remains uncertain. The office’s current head, Rabbi Moshe Davis, said he has not yet received clarification regarding his continued role.
Jewish community leaders have voiced concern that under the new administration, the office could be narrowed to addressing only overt acts such as graffiti or physical assaults, while allowing aggressive anti-Zionist rhetoric to gain legitimacy under the banner of political critique.
Taken together, Mamdani’s early decisions mark a sharp departure from the previous administration’s approach to Israel and antisemitism — one that supporters view as ideological consistency, and critics see as dismantling longstanding protections for New York’s Jewish community.
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