(The Center Square) – A top Senate Republican has launched a probe of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s move to repeal executive orders dealing with antisemitism and boycotts of Israel.
The investigation was announced by Sen. Bill Cassidy, the Louisiana Republican chairman of the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, who said Thursday he is probing Mamdani’s decision to revoke orders put into place by his predecessor, Eric Adams, that expanded the definition of antisemitism and blocked city employees and agencies from boycotting or divesting from Israel.
In a letter to Mamdani, Cassidy said his actions “embolden antisemitism and put Jewish New Yorkers in harm’s way” and vowed to “hold Mamdani and all officials accountable who put Jewish Americans at risk.”
“Antisemitism is not an abstract concern in New York City; it is a lived reality for millions of students and residents, and its consequences are very serious,” Cassidy wrote. “Decisions by your administration that weaken established safeguards for Jewish students in New York and are out of alignment with federal executive orders warrant careful scrutiny.”
Shortly after being sworn into office last month, Mamdani rescinded orders signed by Adams defining antisemitism in terms outlined by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, an intergovernmental organization of 35 countries that promotes Holocaust education, and another that prevented the New York City who participating in the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement against Israel.
The move unleashed a torrent of criticism against Mamdani, the city’s first Muslim mayor, who Jewish groups have admonished over his alignment with pro-Palestinian groups, criticism of the Israeli government, and his use of the phrase “globalize the intifada,” which has been linked to acts of violence against Jewish people.
The Consul General of Israel in New York accused Mamdani of stoking antisemitic sentiments by revoking the orders, which it said will lead to increased threats and attacks on Jewish people. A coalition of Jewish groups, including the New York chapter of the Jewish Community Relations Council and the New York Board of Rabbis, also criticized his move to strip “significant” protections against antisemitism.
Mamdani has repeatedly defended his decision to rescind the orders, and pointed out that he preserved the city’s Office to Combat Antisemitism, which was created last year by the Adams administration to tackle the problem. He has vowed to work with Jewish organizations to crack down on antisemitism in the city, with the latest data showing a rise in threats and hate crimes targeting Jewish people.
“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,” the former Queens assemblyman told reporters recently. “That includes fighting the scourge of antisemitism by actually funding hate crime prevention, by celebrating our neighbors and by practicing a politics of universality.”
Cassidy noted that New York City is home to the largest Jewish community outside of Israel – with 1.77 million Jewish residents or about 9.1% of the state’s total population. He wrote to Mamdani that it is “deeply troubling that one of your first official acts as mayor was to revoke two executive orders designed to protect students and combat antisemitism.”
“Whatever somebody’s ideological background, if they’re in a position of responsibility, they must protect their citizens,” Cassidy said in a separate statement. “Clearly, antisemitism has been on the rise. We must respond to real dangers directed at Jewish students.”