Outrage at Mamdani Over Antisemitism Policy Rollbacks and Deleted Adams Tweets

Israel and Jewish advocacy groups sharply escalated criticism of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Friday, accusing the newly inaugurated mayor of undermining protections for Jewish New Yorkers by revoking policies designed to combat antisemitism and by removing official statements addressing Jew hatred posted by his predecessor during his first day in office.

The backlash followed Mamdani’s decision to repeal several executive orders issued by former Mayor Eric Adams, including a directive that barred city officials from boycotting or divesting from Israel. His administration also eliminated an order that formally adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of antisemitism, which Adams’ office had said includes “demonizing Israel and holding it to double standards as forms of contemporary antisemitism.”

Adams had posted a thread on Wednesday morning, hours before leaving office, promoting the city’s “first-ever municipal report” on fighting antisemitism and describing it as a “blueprint for 2026.” When Mamdani took office the next day, two posts in that thread had been removed, leaving only the final post visible.

Below are the tweets that Mamdani deleted:

“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,” Israel’s Foreign Ministry wrote in a post reacting to the moves.

“This isn’t leadership. It’s antisemitic gasoline on an open fire.”

Mamdani also repealed Executive Order 61, issued last month, which directed the NYPD to increase enforcement aimed at protecting synagogues and other religious institutions from harassment by protesters. The order included establishing buffer zones prohibiting demonstrations within a set distance of churches, mosques, and synagogues.

However, Mamdani released a new executive order which contained roughly the same language as Adams’.

Mamdani spokesperson Dora Pekec denied that the X posts were removed because of their content, saying the deletions were part of an administrative process. “The Mayor’s team has begun archiving posts from the @NYCMAYOR account that were published by the previous administration, in chronological order,” Pekec said.

“This ongoing process is administrative in nature and is not based on the content of the posts.“The Mayor remains steadfast in his commitment to root out the scourge of antisemitism in our City and will deliver on his commitment to renewing the Mayor’s Office to Combat Antisemitism and increasing funding for the Office for the Prevention of Hate Crimes by 800%,” she added.

In response to the Mamdani administration’s defense of the tweet removals, CEO and Director of the National Jewish Advocacy Center, Rabbi Dr. Mark Goldfeder told Belaaz that no such custom exists among newly elected officials. “There is no legal requirement, custom, or practice forcing them to delete a predecessor’s tweets. To the extent that they chose to do so, they should have absolutely considered the message it sends to Jewish New Yorkers on day one of the administration.”

When asked if leaving the tweets, which now feature Mamdani’s name and image, would lead to confusion about Mamdani’s stance on Israel – a possible justification on the part of the administration, Goldfeder responded that it would be clear to all when and by whom the statements were made, adding that “If he is so worried about being associated with support for the Jewish state, think about the message that sends.”

Overall, Goldfeder says Mamdani’s actions convey the very message Jewish leaders have been worried about for months.”On his first day, he has done multiple things to suggest that protecting Jewish New Yorkers is not a priority, and he has done nothing to suggest that it is.”

Sorolle Idels, head of Queens Jewish Alliance, told Belaaz that “Though I have a pit in my stomach, I’m hopeful that his being on center stage – and surrounded by others – will curb how much damage he can do. If nothing else, this should underscore the urgency of voting and drive turnout in the June primaries for Governor and Congress.”

As criticism mounted, a Jewish civil rights group raised additional concerns, accusing Mamdani of deleting official statements about antisemitism from the city’s mayoral X account shortly after assuming office.

According to the National Jewish Advocacy Center, two posts shared by Adams’ administration highlighting the city’s efforts to combat antisemitism were removed from the @NYCMayor account after Mamdani took control of it Thursday.

“It is difficult to overstate how disturbing it is that one of your very first acts as Mayor of New York City, on your very first day in office, was to delete official @NYCMayor tweets addressing the protection of Jewish New Yorkers,” the organization wrote in a letter addressed to Mamdani.

“At a moment of unprecedented antisemitic intimidation, violence, and exclusion in the City the decision to erase official statements affirming the safety and protection of Jews is not merely tone-deaf, it is shameful. It sends a message, whether intended or not, that Jewish New Yorkers are uniquely underserving of continuity, clarity, or reassurance from their own government.”

The letter was also sent to the city’s Department of Investigation and the Conflicts of Interest Board, according to Goldfeder.

The group warned that removing posts from the mayoral account without proper archiving could violate the city charter, since social media posts are considered public records.

“Even if they were archived, the choice to delete statements specifically addressing Jewish safety on Day One invites scrutiny and erodes public trust,” the letter said.

“New York City’s mayoralty is an institution, not a social-media account to be curated for convenience or optics. The record matters, the law matters, and the safety and dignity of Jewish New Yorker’s most certainly matter.”

Brooklyn Republican City Councilwoman Inna Vernikov also condemned Mamdani’s actions in a series of posts on X.

“We need to enforce federal law that’s already in place here because the pro-Hamas antisemites emboldened by @NYCMayor are coming!” she wrote.

In a separate post, Vernikov said: “Mamdani @NYCMayor just UNDID previous executive order which adopted the IHRA definition of antisemitism. IHRA protects from discrimination Jews who believe in self determination and provides clarity on the definition.”

Mamdani, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, has faced sustained criticism over his record on Israel, including past refusals to recognize Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state and statements vowing to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a war criminal if he enters New York City. While members of his transition team have ties to anti-Zionist groups, Mamdani has sought to broaden his appeal to Jewish voters since the election, including appearing in a recent Hanukkah video with actor Mandy Patinkin.

City Hall said Mamdani’s first executive order revoked all executive orders issued by Adams on or after Sept. 26, 2024 — the day Adams was indicted on federal corruption charges — describing the move as “ensuring a fresh start for the incoming administration.” Officials said the mayor intends to reissue orders he continues to support, including one maintaining the Office to Combat Antisemitism.

The National Jewish Advocacy Center said the mayor’s early actions send a troubling signal.

“Your first days in office will define your administration,” the group wrote.

“This is not how that definition should begin.”