Israeli government accuses Mamdani of anti-Semitism over cancelled orders

NEW YORK – The government of Israel on Jan 2 accused Mayor Zohran Mamdani of New York of anti-Semitism, following his decision the day before to cancel two executive orders issued by his predecessor that had barred city agencies from boycotting Israel and defined some criticism of Israel as anti-Semitic.

New York City is home to the largest Jewish population outside Israel, and the statement, made on social media by the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was an extraordinary accusation of anti-Jewish animosity levelled at the new mayor.

“On his very first day as @NYCMayor, Mamdani shows his true face: He scraps the IHRA definition of anti-Semitism and lifts restrictions on boycotting Israel,” the Foreign Ministry wrote on social platform X, referring to the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance. “This isn’t leadership. It’s anti-Semitic gasoline on an open fire.”

Israel’s consul-general in New York, Mr Ofir Akunis, amplified that attack, saying Mr Mamdani’s decision posed “an immediate threat to the safety of Jewish communities in New York City and could lead to an increase in violent antisemitic attacks throughout the city”.

Mr Mamdani did not directly address the Israeli government’s accusation at a news conference on Jan 2.

But he said “protecting Jewish New Yorkers is going to be a focus of my administration” and that his action on executive orders had given it “a clean slate to get to work on delivering a new era for New Yorkers”.

Mr Mamdani has been a strong critic of Israel and its treatment of Palestinians throughout his public life.

The two Israel-related executive orders revoked on Jan 1 were among a dozen orders issued by Mr Mamdani’s predecessor, Mr Eric Adams, that were cancelled or amended by the new mayor on his first day in office.

On Jan 2, a coalition of major Jewish organisations, including the Anti-Defamation League, the American Jewish Committee and the UJA Federation of New York, issued a joint statement opposing the cancellation of the executive orders.

Mr Mamdani’s decision to cancel the two executive orders was celebrated by some progressives. Ms Donna Lieberman, executive director of the New York Civil Liberties Union, said the orders and others like them had “a chilling effect on speech that is protected by the First Amendment”.

Mr Amy Spitalnick, CEO of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, said her organisation believed that the IHRA definition should not be codified into law but instead serve as a “vital resource and tool” for government, academics and the public to better understand anti-Semitism. NYTIMES