A Senate committee has launched an official investigation into New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani due to his decision to revoke several executive orders aimed at combating antisemitism.
The committee is concerned that this action may undermine protections for Jewish residents, especially given the alarming rise in antisemitic incidents observed over the past three years, as reported by The New York Post:
A US Senate panel launched a probe Wednesday of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s administration, citing “serious concerns” about the “rescission of executive orders related to antisemitism and boycotts of Israel.”
Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Chairman Bill Cassidy (R-La.) wrote a letter to Mamdani asking whether the scrapping of the orders would hamper the enforcement of civil rights law — thus risking the revocation of $2.2 billion in federal funds.
“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 told Mamdani in the letter reviewed by The Post.
“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,” he said.
“Jewish students deserve clear assurance that their safety and civil rights will not be compromised by your administration’s actions.”
On his first day in office, Mamdani issued an executive order that revoked all directives made by former Mayor Eric Adams following his federal indictment. Among these were two significant measures that had been seen as supportive of Israel and opposed to anti-Jewish bigotry.
One order prohibited city agencies from participating in boycotts or divesting from Israel, while the other adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of antisemitism, which identifies certain criticisms of Israel’s legitimacy as antisemitic.
Jewish leaders voiced their concerns over Mamdani’s decision to eliminate these orders, especially given his history of supporting the Boycott, Divest, and Sanction (BDS) movement, which advocates for the severing of ties with Israel by both private and public entities.
Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), criticized Mamdani’s “long-standing, troubling record on matters of great concern to the Jewish community.”
This issue arises in the context of a troubling surge in anti-Jewish incidents that followed Hamas’ brutal attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which resulted in the deaths of over 1,000 civilians and government personnel. The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) reported that reports of violence or threats against Jewish individuals in New York hit an all-time high in 2024, with a staggering 1,437 incidents recorded. This marks an 18 percent increase from 2023, making it the highest total for any state.
Police data showed that anti-Jewish hate crimes almost tripled in January 2026 compared with the previous year, indicating that the anti-Semitism on the Democrat left is getting worse.