The one good thing about Zohran Mamdani becoming mayor of New York City is that writers such as those of us at PJ Media will never run out of outrageous, idiotic, and shockingly stupid things that Mamdani says and does while mayor of our largest city.
The guy isn't in office for more than a couple of hours before he repeals a slew of executive orders that his predecessor, Eric Adams, signed, including two orders addressing the city's antisemitism problem.
The first was key; it forced the city to adopt a broader definition of "antisemitism" written by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA). Some Jewish groups rejected the definition, because it appeared to equate criticism of Israel and antisemitism, something the definition doesn't do. The new definition made it plain that antisemites couldn't hide behind criticisms of Zionism in attacking someone's Jewishness.
The second of Adams' orders forbade city employees from engaging in the boycott, divest, and sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel. This was absolutely no surprise, since Mamdani has supported the BDS movement since entering public life.
At his first press conference, Mamdani assured New York Jews that he would protect them. He pledged that his administration would be "relentless in its efforts" to combat hate and division. He specifically mentioned fighting the "scourge of antisemitism" by funding hate crime prevention efforts.
Mamdani also confirmed that he would keep the Office to Combat Antisemitism that Eric Adams established, stating that it remains a part of his commitment to the Jewish community.
Despite these reassurances, his actions sparked immediate criticism from Israel's Foreign Ministry and several major Jewish organizations, who argued that removing the IHRA definition weakened actual protections against antisemitism.
Some Jews may have opposed the IHRA definition of antisemitism, but a joint statement by the UJA-Federation of New York, Jewish Community Relations Council of New York, American Jewish Committee of New York, Anti-Defamation League of New York/New Jersey, the New York Board of Rabbis and the Orthodox Union made it clear that the New York Jewish community “will be looking for clear and sustained leadership that demonstrates a serious commitment to confronting antisemitism and ensures that the powers of the mayor’s office are used to promote safety and unity, not to advance divisive efforts such as BDS."
Read our joint statement on Mayor Mamdani's executive actions with @JCRCNY, @AJCGlobal, @ADL and @ADL_NYNJ, @AgudahNews, @OrthodoxUnion, and the New York Board of Rabbis. pic.twitter.com/GitenHuexI
— UJA-Federation of New York (@UJAfedNY) January 2, 2026
The Israeli foreign ministry pulled no punches.
The foreign office said in a post, “On his very first day as New York City Mayor, 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.”
William Daroff, CEO of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, said that the repeal of the executive orders “is a troubling indicator of the direction in which [Mamdani] is leading the city, just one day at the helm.”
“Repealing [the IHRA definition] diminishes New York City’s ability to recognize and respond to antisemitism at a time when incidents continue to rise,” Daroff said in a statement. “New York City should lead with moral clarity and resolve in confronting antisemitism. This decision points in the opposite direction.”
The Anti-Defamation League of New York and New Jersey said it is “deeply troubled that on his first day in office Mayor Mamdani weakened protections to fight antisemitism by revoking executive orders adopting the IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism and providing safeguards against Israel-related discrimination in city procurement and pension decision-making.”
No doubt, the New York City Jewish community will be watching Mamdani closely. For that reason, he's not likely to do anything overtly hateful.
But give him time. Eventually, antisemites reveal who they really are. He won't be able to help himself.
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