Israel's foreign ministry has accused the new mayor of New York, Zohran Mamdani, of pouring 'antisemitic gasoline on an open fire' after he reversed an order by his predecessor that adopted a controversial definition of antisemitism. On his first day in office, Mr Mamdani scrapped the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism and lifted restrictions on boycotting Israel.
The ministry posted on X: '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.' The former mayor, Eric Adams, had adopted the IHRA definition, which characterised some criticism of Israel as antisemitic.
Mr Mamdani responded by acknowledging concerns from Jewish organisations but pledged that fighting antisemitism would be a priority for his administration. 'Protecting Jewish New Yorkers is going to be a focus of my administration,' he told the Jewish newspaper the Forward. He said his government would be 'relentless in its efforts to combat hate and division' and would 'fund hate crime prevention'.
The New York chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NY) welcomed the revocation, describing the IHRA definition as 'overly broad' and 'often used to censor criticism of the Israeli government’s racism and crimes against humanity'. It called Mayor Adams's order an 'unconstitutional, Israel First attack on free speech'.
Mr Mamdani's decision came after he rescinded all executive orders issued by Mr Adams following his indictment on federal corruption charges in 2024, which were later dropped. The new mayor said the move was to ensure 'a fresh start for the incoming administration'. Among the revoked orders was one that prohibited city officials from making decisions in line with the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, which Mr Mamdani supports.
Mr Mamdani, a democratic socialist, was sworn in on the Qur'an by Senator Bernie Sanders, a Jewish New Yorker. Jewish religious leaders who had not endorsed him during the campaign were also present.
