New York City Mayor Eric Adams has signed two executive orders aimed at combating antisemitism, less than a month before he hands over the mayoralty to Zohran Mamdani, a vocal critic of Israel. The first order prohibits city agencies and staff from engaging in policies that discriminate against Israel or Israeli citizens, and bars officials from making pension investment decisions aligned with the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, which Mamdani supports.
The second order directs the police commissioner to evaluate proposals for regulating protests near houses of worship, following demonstrations outside a synagogue that sparked claims of antisemitism. Adams stated the measures aim to protect tax dollars and religious freedom, asserting that BDS is antisemitic and discriminatory.
Mamdani, a democratic socialist and the city's first Muslim mayor-elect, takes office on 1 January. He has criticised the city's $300m in Israeli bonds and assets within its $250bn pension fund. Outgoing Comptroller Brad Lander stopped investment in Israeli bonds, denying BDS support, while Mamdani can reverse Adams' orders.
The moves come as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu plans to visit New York despite Mamdani's pledge to enforce ICC arrest warrants against him. The ICC has accused Netanyahu of war crimes, but the US is not a signatory to the Rome Statute. Netanyahu dismissed Mamdani's threats, saying he would visit and would only engage if Mamdani recognises Israel's right to exist as a Jewish state.
