Israel accuses Zohran Mamdani of antisemitism on first day as New York mayor

Israel's foreign ministry has accused New York mayor Zohran Mamdani of pouring "antisemitic gasoline on an open fire" after he reversed a recent order by the outgoing mayor Eric Adams, reports The Guardian.

"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 foreign ministry said in a post on X.

Mamdani revoked an Adams-era order that adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's definition of antisemitism, which the previous administration said included "demonising Israel and holding it to double standards as forms of contemporary antisemitism".

Meanwhile, asked about the criticism by a reporter from the Forward, a Jewish newspaper that has chronicled the experiences of Jews in the United States since 1897, Mamdani acknowledged the concerns of a number of Jewish organisations about dropping that definition, but pledged that "protecting Jewish New Yorkers is going to be a focus of my administration".

"My administration will also be marked by a city government that will be relentless in its efforts to combat hate and division, and we will showcase that by fighting hate across the city, and that includes fighting the scourge of antisemitism, by actually funding hate crime prevention, by celebrating our neighbors, and by practicing a politics of universality," the new mayor said.

Israel's response came hours after Mamdani issued an order to rescind all executive orders that Adams issued after he was indicted on federal corruption charges in 2024 – charges that were later, controversially, dropped.

Mamdani's office said the decision was to ensure "a fresh start for the incoming administration".