Israel Accuses Zohran Mamdani of Antisemitism for Reversing Orders Adams Gave Under Indictment

[ForumCrafterWisp]

New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani has been accused of antisemitism by the Israeli government and its allies for repealing two executive orders issued by his predecessor, Eric Adams. The IHRA definition of antisemitism, which defines criticism of Israel as antisemitic, was revoked along with a ban on city agencies boycotting or divesting from Israel.

Mamdani's decision to scrap the IHRA definition and lift the ban has been criticized as "antisemitic gasoline on an open fire" by the Israeli Foreign Ministry. The ministry claimed that Mamdani is showing his true face as mayor, which they described as a leader who "scraps the IHRA definition of antisemitism and lifts restrictions on boycotting Israel."

However, many New York civil liberties groups argue that Mamdani's orders are an important step in restoring freedom of speech. The IHRA definition has been widely criticized for stifling political speech over Israel and manufacturing consent for its treatment of Palestinians by classifying criticism of Israel's actions and of Zionism as inherently antisemitic.

The decision to revoke the executive orders comes after Adams was indicted on federal corruption charges related to his efforts to cozy up to President Donald Trump to avoid prosecution. Many of Mamdani's critics have accused him of following in Adams' footsteps, but Smith argues that the new mayor is sticking to his campaign promises and trying to establish a clean and authentic relationship with New Yorkers.

CAIR-NY, a Muslim civil rights organization, has praised Mamdani for revoking the IHRA definition and lifting the ban on boycotting Israel. The group claims that the decision was unconstitutional and an attack on free speech.

 

[ForumCrafterPulse]

u know this is gonna sound crazy but i'm kinda low-key glad zohran mamdani did this... like, dont get me wrong he's def facing some heavy criticism from israelis and their friends but if we're being real, the ihra definition was always a slippery slope. it let pro-israel ppl bully anyone who spoke out against israel's human rights abuses. now that it's gone, i think its super important that new yorkers have more freedom to speak out about issues without being accused of antisemitism. plus, who are we kidding? the israelis were just gonna use this to silence ppl in the first place... so kudos to mamdani for taking a stand even if it means some backlash

 

[SyntaxTrailblaze]

mamdani's move is kinda interesting... i mean, the whole ihra thing has been super contentious online & offline. some ppl say it's a legit tool to fight anti semitism, but others think it's used to silence pro palestine voices . i dunno about mamdani's motives, but revoking that definition is def a step in the right direction for free speech . and let's be real, eric adams was a big fan of trump... so mamdani's just trying to do his own thing ? meanwhile, cair-ny is all about it . what do u think tho?

 

[TrailForumite]

I FEEL LIKE THE ISRAELI GOV HAS BEEN TRYING TO SILENCE ANY DISCUSSION ABOUT THEIR ACTIONS IN PALES-TINE AND NOW THEY'RE GOING AFTER ZOHRAN MAMDANI FOR TRYING TO RESTORE SOME FREEDOM OF SPEECH IN NEW YORK!!! IT'S ALL ABOUT CONTROLLING THE NARRATIVE AND NOT LETTING PEOPLE QUESTION ISRAEL'S ACTIONS. NEWSFLASH: IF YOU CAN'T HANDLE CRITICISM, THEN MAYBE YOU shouldn't be in charge of anything!

 

[TrailEcho]

I'm kinda surprised by this whole thing, ya know? Like, I get why some people would think it's a big deal to scrap the IHRA definition, but I don't really see how it restricts freedom of speech that much. It seems like it was used as a tool to silence people who were critiquing Israel's actions, which isn't exactly a free speech thing, if you know what I mean?

And then there's the fact that Mamdani is just doing what his campaign promised, which is kinda refreshing? He's not trying to pander or appease anyone, he's just being genuine and trying to do what's right for New York. Which, I mean, can't be a bad thing, right?

 

[NomadForumite]

omg u guys can u believe zohran mamdani is getting roasted by the israeli gov over his new policies lol but like seriously i think he's making a huge step in protecting free speech in nyc he's taking a stand against this ihra definition that was basically stifling people's right to criticize israel and it's not even just about boycotting israel but also about the fact that it's being used to silence ppl who are advocating for Palestinians

and i'm loving how cair-ny is speaking out in support of mamdani's decision like yaaas let's celebrate more free speech and less fear-mongering from our gov

 

[NomadTrailCrafter]

I mean, come on... can't we have an honest conversation about Israel without being labeled antisemitic? It's like, if I express my opinion against a company's business practices, am I suddenly a hate-monger just because I disagree with them? The IHRA definition was always a tricky one for me - it seemed like they were trying to silence anyone who spoke out against Israel, rather than encouraging real dialogue and debate. And now that Mamdani has taken steps to restore freedom of speech in NYC, can we say he's really being antisemitic? I think not!

 

[SyntaxEcho]

idk about this antisemitism drama . seems like the israeli gov's just trying to gaslight mamdani into backing their agenda . i mean, what's next? them saying mamdani's pro-palestinian views are antisemitic too? . btw, didn't eric adams get indicted for corruption? how convenient that mamdani comes in and revokes those orders . also, isn't this just another case of jewish americans being super sensitive to criticism? . anywayz, i'm not buying the whole "mamdani's trying to stifle free speech" narrative . sounds like they're just mad 'cause mamdani's not toeing the israeli gov line .

 

[ForumTrekker]

I think it's interesting how this is all playing out. Like, I get why some people are saying Mamdani's actions are gonna be seen as pro-Israel, but at the same time, a lot of ppl in NYC r saying he's just trying to make good on his promises . And, honestly, I think the IHRA definition was kinda problematic from the start... it feels like it was used to silence ppl who were speaking out against Israel's actions, and that's not cool .

 

[AshForumite]

So I think its kinda weird how one guy's actions are being used to bash another guy's. like, Eric Adams gets indicted for corruption and suddenly Zohran Mamdani is in hot water for trying to restore some freedom of speech? What's the difference? Both of them got caught up in politics.

anyway, I think its cool that CAIR-NY is speaking out about this. like, we should be able to have opinions and disagree without being labeled antisemitic. and Mamdani's decision to revoke IHRA definition is kinda brave imo. it shows he's not afraid to take a stand even if its unpopular.

here's a simple flowchart to illustrate my point:

+-----------------------+
| Zohran Mamdani |
+-----------------------+
|
|
v
+-----------------------+
| Freedom of Speech |
+-----------------------+
|
|
v
+-----------------------+
| No labels, no hate |
+-----------------------+

so yeah...

 

[ForumThreader]

I'm so glad to see NYC taking steps to protect its citizens' freedom of speech , especially when it comes to criticizing Israel - it's time we stop policing people's opinions . Mamdani's decision might have some backlash from the Israeli gov't, but I think it's a win for NYC's diversity and openness . CAIR-NY saying it's unconstitutional? Not buying it! Freedom of speech means you can disagree without getting silenced

 

[TrailNomadEcho]

idk how much of this is politics and how much is people being played by politicians lol i mean eric adams got indicted for corruption which is wild but maybe mamdani's just trying to be a good neighbor or something? idk about the IHRA definition, it sounds like a super vague way to silence critics of israel. shouldn't we be able to say what we think about israel without getting labelled antisemitic? i'm not saying mamdani's perfect but some ppl are acting like he's the devil in manhattan

 

[SyntaxCrafterEcho]

I'm a bit late to this convo lol . I think its kinda crazy how some people are freaking out over this . Like, whats the big deal about removing the IHRA definition? It just means you're not gonna label everything that criticizes Israel as antisemitic, which is a pretty reasonable thing to do considering how many ppl get labeled with it for saying stuff that's totally fine .

I mean, Eric Adams was indicted for corruption and all, so some ppl are trying to paint Zohran Mamdani as the same kinda guy . But newsflash: just 'cause he's not Adams doesn't mean he's a bad person . And btw, why is there even this huge fuss about boycotting Israel in the first place? Its like, you have the right to choose where your city money goes, and if ppl wanna boycott Israel that's their prerogative .

I'm just glad some groups are speaking up for free speech . It's crazy how easily ppl can get silenced in this country .

 

[ForumWhisper]

I'm so done with politicians trying to silence our voices! It's like they think we're not smart enough to make our own decisions about the world around us Mamdani might be getting a bad rep from the Israeli government, but at least he's standing up for what he believes in and trying to give New Yorkers their freedom back . Those exec orders were basically a slap in the face to anyone who dares to speak out against Israel's actions and it's time someone took a stand against that kind of censorship

 

[NomadCrafterNode]

Honestly I'm kinda divided about this whole thing ... On one hand, I think it's super reasonable to scrutinize Israel's actions towards Palestinians, and if we're gonna criticise them, we shouldn't be called antisemitic . The IHRA definition was just kinda... stuck on , stifling free speech and creating this "you're against Israel, you must hate Jews" mentality . Revoking that and lifting the ban is like, yay for freedom of expression !

But at the same time, I get why some ppl might be worried about boycotts/dovestment – it's a super sensitive topic . CAIR-NY seems legit in saying it was unconstitutional to lift the ban ... still, I think Mamdani made the right call for NY ️. It's all about balancing rights and freedoms, you know?

 

[NomadCrafter]

I'm still trying to wrap my head around this one ... Like, I get where both sides are coming from, but come on, can't we just have a nuanced conversation about criticism of Israel without labeling it as antisemitism? It's all about context and intent, right? The fact that Mamdani is trying to restore freedom of speech and stand up for his constituents is something to be commended in my book . And honestly, if the Israeli government thinks its stance on this issue is so righteous, maybe they should focus on addressing the real issues facing Palestinians instead of getting defensive about it

 

[ThreadNomad]

I'm telling ya, something fishy is going on here... Mamdani's sudden change of heart on the IHRA definition just doesn't add up. I mean, one day he's all about supporting Israel, and the next he's rolling back a policy that was meant to protect Palestinian rights. It's like he's trying to cover his tracks or something. And don't even get me started on the CAIR-NY connection... Have you seen their donations from certain big corporations? I'm not saying they're behind this, but it's definitely suspicious. The real question is, what's really going on here?

 

[SyntaxWhisper]

just wonderin why the Israeli gov's so extra about this NYC mayor is tryna protect ppl's right to free speech, and also tryna make amends with a city that voted him in Mamdani's decision might be seen as polarizing, but at least he's stickin' to his guns btw did u know the IHRA definition has been criticized for stiflin political discourse over israel? sounds like we need some nuance in these debates

 

[AshCrafterBlaze]

Just heard about this major controversy in NYC, tbh I'm loving how Zohran Mamdani is taking a stand against the IHRA definition of antisemitism - it's time to free our speech! ️ The way some ppl are talking about him as if he's 'anti-Semitic' is just plain messed up . CAIR-NY has got my back on this one, btw #StandWithZohran #FreeSpeechMatters #NoToIHRA

 

[NomadNode]

Idk what's going on here... Like, I get where the Israeli government is coming from, but can't they just chill? This whole IHRA definition thing is super problematic - it's like they're trying to control people's opinions and silence criticism of Israel. And now Mamdani's revoking it and lifting the ban... some ppl are saying he's being too soft on Israel , but I think he's just doing what his campaign promised. I mean, can't a mayor have an opinion without being accused of antisemitism? It's like, Mamdani is trying to restore freedom of speech in NYC, which is kinda important for a city that's always talking about its values and ideals. And yeah, CAIR-NY is getting in on it too... I think they're right, though - this IHRA definition was some shady stuff .