Zohran Mamdani sworn in as the mayor of New York City (Credit: AFP)
Hours into office, New York City mayor revokes BDS ban
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Just hours after being sworn in on Thursday, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani signed two executive orders reversing decisions by his predecessor, Eric Adams, that had restricted the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement and adopted a broad definition of antisemitism.
The first order overturns a December decision by Adams that barred city departments and institutions from boycotting or divesting from ‘Israel’. The second revokes an order issued last June adopting the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism, which critics say includes certain forms of political criticism of ‘Israel’.
Mamdani, however, kept in place Adams’ move to establish the New York City Office to Combat Antisemitism, which was launched in May and will continue operating under the new administration.
'Israeli' Foreign Ministry said the decision signals a possible shift in the direction of New York City’s relations with ‘Israel’ and the Jewish community over the next four years.
The move also drew strong criticism from Jewish organizations in the United States. William Daroff, CEO of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, described the reversal as a “troubling indicator” of the new mayor’s approach.
