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By Giulia Carbonaro
Senior Reporter
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Israel’s foreign ministry has condemned New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s decision to formally revoke the city’s adoption of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) definition of antisemitism on his first day in office.
“This isn’t leadership. It’s antisemitic gasoline on an open fire,” the ministry wrote in a post on X published on Friday, accusing the freshly inaugurated mayor of showing “his true face.”
On January 1, Mamdani said that antisemitism is “an issue that we take very seriously, and as part of the commitment that we’ve made to Jewish New Yorkers, to not only protect them, but to celebrate.”
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Why It Matters
During his mayoral campaign, Mamdani repeatedly came under fire from conservative commentators and his political rivals for his stance on Israel and his embrace of the Palestinian cause—even as he repeatedly said there is no room for antisemitism in New York City.
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His first day in office was accompanied by similar criticism, as he officially revoked executive orders issued by the previous administration after September 26, 2024—the date of former Mayor Eric Adams’s indictment—including the adoption of the IHRA’s definition of antisemitism.
At a press conference, Mamdani said that all executive orders passed by Adams after that date were “against the interests of working class people.” A federal judge dismissed the corruption case against former Mayor Adams in April last year.
What To Know
The IHRA states that “antisemitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities.”
It was embraced by the IHRA in 2016 and has since been adopted by 36 states in the union and 98 cities and county governments across the U.S., according to the IHRA, as well as another 44 countries around the world. The Department of State had used its own working definition of antisemitism between 2010 and 2016, after which it started using the IHRA definition, which it said was consistent with its own.
Among the other orders issued by Adams last year and revoked by Mamdani on Thursday, one prevented city officials from introducing punitive economic policies against Israel, such as boycotts, sanctions or divestment.
A press release from then Mayor Adams' office in December, said the IHRA definition of antisemitism identifies “demonizing Israel and holding it to double standards as forms of contemporary antisemitism." These are, the press release said, “exactly the core tactics of the boycott, divestment, and sanction (BDS) movement.”
But Adams’ adoption of the IHRA definition of antisemitism was criticized by several groups last year, including the New York Civil Liberties Union, which released a statement accusing the then-mayor of “weaponizing the critical fight against antisemitism to suppress protected political speech he doesn’t like.”
The union said in a statement: “Advocates have warned for years that the IHRA definition of antisemitism recklessly conflates criticism of Israel with hate and violates the Constitution's free speech protections. It’s yet another example of the Mayor twisting to do Trump's bidding.”
While revoking the adoption of this definition of antisemitism has drawn criticism, Mamdani was praised by Rabbi Chanina Sperlin, leader of the Crown Heights Jewish community, on X for retaining the Mayor’s Office to Combat Antisemitism created by his predecessor Adams and “reaffirming your commitment to protecting all Jewish New Yorkers.”
After being elected in November 2025, Mamdani promised to be “mayor for all New Yorkers, including Jews who didn’t vote for me.” Nearly 1 million Jews live in the Big Apple.
What People Are Saying
New York City Councilwoman Inna Vernikov, a Republican, wrote on X: “IHRA protects from discrimination Jews who believe in self determination and provides clarity on the definition. @GovKathyHochul knew all along that Mamdani was going to eliminate IHRA on day one, (it was his top campaign promise) and yet she REFUSED to take action.”
In 2022, Gov. Hochul recommended the use of the IHRA definition in the absence of an “exhaustive definition of antisemitism.”
Journalist Rania Khalek, host of Dispatches on BT Newsroom, wrote on X: “Zohran Mamdani revoked an outrageous executive order that conflated criticism of Israel with anti-semitism. So of course the Israeli government accused him of anti-semitism.”
What Happens Next
Controversy over Israel and Gaza is likely to continue following the newly inaugurated mayor, who has vowed to govern like a Democrat Socialist and not backed down on his campaign promises, including freezing rent and introducing universal child care.
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