New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani wiped away executive orders from former Mayor Eric Adams that supported Israel in a flurry of executive orders issued on the first day on his administration.
Mamdani signed three executive orders related to increased housing affordability hours after being sworn in, according to WPIX-TV. One order created the structure for his administration.
Mamdani also signed an order wiping away every executive order signed by Adams after Sept. 26, 2024, the day Adams was indicted on federal bribery charges that were later dropped.
“We have to reckon with why so many New Yorkers have turned away from politics over the last few months, the last few years, the last few decades, and that was a date that marked a moment when many New Yorkers decided that politics held nothing for them,” he said, according to the Daily News.
Mamdani said many of the orders were “against the interests of working-class people and what they need from their mayor.”
A review of the orders showed several of the nine orders Mamdani addressed supported Israel.
One order sought to oppose the anti-Israel Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement by banning any city contracting actions “that discriminates against the state of Israel, Israeli citizens based on their national origin, or individuals or entities based on their association with Israel.”
Another order Mamdani wiped out adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of ant-Semitism.
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. @GovKathyHochul knew all along that Mamdani was going to… pic.twitter.com/548pXZ8Ydu
— Councilwoman Inna Vernikov (@InnaVernikov) January 1, 2026
Mamdani’s actions drew fire from City Council member Inna Vernikov.
“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,” she posted on X.
“@GovKathyHochul knew all along that Mamdani was going to eliminate IHRA on day one, (it was his top campaign promise) and yet she REFUSED to take action. In June of 2022, she signed a NON-BINDING PROCLAMATION adopting IHRA, but never signed an EO. @GovKathyHochul can fix this with the stroke of a pen! Will she stand up to Mamdani or will she cower to avoid a Mamdani primary? The Jewish community is watching!” she posted.
Vernikov also objected to the elimination of an order that banned protests near houses of worship.
“Mamdani @NYCMayor also just SCRATCHED Executive Order 61, which established zones in which protests close to the entrance of HOUSES OF WORSHIP would be prohibited/regulated. The EO also added additional restrictions on protest activities during publicly scheduled religious services. We need to enforce federal law that’s already in place here because the pro-Hamas antisemites emboldened by @NYCMayor are coming!” she posted.
The Muslim mayor said he will keep the Mayor’s Office to Combat Anti-Semitism, which Adams created, but is making unspecified changes.
Other Adams orders that have been swept away include one that allowed federal immigration agents to operate on Rikers Island and a ban on the horse carriage industry in New York City.
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