Zahran Mamdani Cancels Executive Orders Signed by Former New York City Mayor to Support Israel

SadaNews - On his first day as the Mayor of New York City, Zahran Mamdani signed an executive order on Thursday that cancels all orders issued by former Mayor Eric Adams after he was charged with corruption, including two orders promoted as support for Israel.

According to the American newspaper "New York Times", one of the canceled orders, signed by Adams last month, prohibited city agencies from boycotting Israel or divesting from it, while the other order, signed last June, adopted a broad definition of anti-Semitism, equating some forms of criticism against Israel, such as opposing its Jewish ethnic identity, with anti-Semitism.

Mamdani did not cancel the establishment of the city’s office to combat anti-Semitism, which Adams created in May.

However, former Mayor Adams and some conservative-leaning Jewish leaders, who opposed Mamdani’s nomination and were skeptical about his intentions as mayor, criticized the new mayor’s actions.

Brooklyn Republican Council member Ina Vernikov attacked the mayor on Thursday night, stating on social media that one of the canceled orders "protects Jews who believe in the right to self-determination from discrimination" and added that "pro-Palestinian activists supporting Hamas, who have been emboldened, are coming due to the mayor.".

Adams’ orders were controversial at the time they were signed, with many viewing them as an attempt to undermine his successor. Donna Lieberman, the executive director of the New York Civil Liberties Union, said: "Both orders seemed to be a desperate attempt to suppress views that the mayor and his supporters did not agree with, especially since one of them was issued only in the past few weeks, and it is not surprising but rather good news that the new Mayor of New York has revoked these decisions.".

Lieberman stated: "These decisions, along with other similar decisions, restrict the free speech protected under the First Amendment of the Constitution. The right to free speech does not depend on your viewpoint, and this applies to discussions about Israel or Gaza, and to political activism related to this conflict, and to any other political issue we face.".

Mamdani's victories in the Democratic primary for the mayorship and in the general elections raised concerns among many Jews who were worried about his explicit criticisms of Israel. However, he garnered votes from many other Jews in New York who said his campaign inspired them and that they were not disturbed by his views on the Middle East.

Mamdani criticized Israel in ways that were previously considered off-limits for an elected official in New York, which has the largest Jewish community in America. He condemned Israel, describing it as an apartheid state, and stated that it should ensure equal rights for followers of all religions instead of favoring Jews in its political and legal system. He also supported the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement, which seeks to economically isolate it.

Often, Jewish voters who supported him said that his views on Israel and his strong opposition to its treatment of Palestinians reflect their views, but others remained concerned about his approach towards Israel and the concerns of Jews in New York.

Throughout his campaign, however, Mamdani repeatedly pledged to protect the security of Jews in New York and to celebrate their contributions.

This was reaffirmed at a conference on Thursday, where he noted the "continuation of the activation of the Office to Combat Anti-Semitism" and stated: "This is an issue we take very seriously, and it is part of our commitment to the Jews of New York: not only to protect them, but also to celebrate and appreciate them.".