Outgoing NYC mayor bans anti-Israel boycotts ahead of Muslim successor
Outgoing New York City mayor Eric Adams has signed executive orders that oppose divestment from Israel initiatives and ban protests at houses of worship. He is set to be succeeded by the city’s first Muslim mayor, Zohran Mamdani.
Mamdani, who will assume office on January 1, openly holds pro-Palestinian views. During his first meeting with US President Donald Trump last month, he characterized Israel’s military campaign against Hamas in the densely-populated Palestinian enclave as “genocide.”
On Tuesday, Adams signed an executive order that prohibits mayoral appointees from “engaging in procurement practices that discriminate against the State of Israel, Israeli citizens, or those associated with Israel.”
“New York City not only has a strong bond with the State of Israel because of our commitment to protecting a Jewish homeland, but also because it has always been a sound financial investment,” the order reads.
It adds that the measure is meant to help fight “back against anti-Semitism wherever it rears its ugly head.”
A second executive order envisages establishing designated zones outside of houses of worship “where protest activity would be prohibited or regulated.”
Last month, Adams condemned a pro-Palestinian rally held in the vicinity of a New York City synagogue. In a series of posts on X, he suggested the protest had in fact constituted “desecration.”
Also in November, he paid a visit to Israel, where he met with survivors of the October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas militants, and was also received in the country’s parliament.
Adams vowed to “always stand with [them] in the fight against anti-Semitism.”
Over the past few years, New York has seen numerous pro-Palestinian protests over what many perceive as heavy-handed tactics employed by the Israeli military.
