New York City Mayor Eric Adams has signed an executive order formally adopting the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of anti-Semitism. The directive mandates all city agencies to use the IHRA definition when investigating alleged instances of anti-Semitism, according to the mayor’s office.
Adams also announced his intention to introduce legislation to the City Council that would codify the definition into municipal law.
The IHRA definition—already adopted by the U.S. federal government and 37 states—has drawn criticism from civil rights groups and academics who argue that its language is overly broad and may conflate legitimate criticism of the Israeli government with anti-Semitism.
Adams, who is currently seeking re-election, participated in a mayoral debate on June 4 where the topic of Israel became a flashpoint. When former Governor Andrew Cuomo was asked where he would travel first if elected, he named Israel. Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani, a close challenger, said he would remain in New York. Cuomo seized on the moment to suggest Mamdani’s response indicated a lack of support for Israel.
Some observers see Adams’s executive order as a move aimed at consolidating support among New York’s Jewish communities and pro-Israel political constituencies amid a closely contested race.
The city has been at the center of pro-Palestinian demonstrations, especially following Israel’s offensive in Gaza in late 2023 and into 2024. Columbia University, in particular, became a focal point of protests, which have been criticized by the Trump administration as promoting “anti-Israel policies.”
Critics warn that if the IHRA definition is enacted into law, it could be used to suppress dissent and protest against Israeli policies. Demonstrations that fall within the scope of the IHRA’s examples of anti-Semitism could potentially be subject to hate crime investigations under city statutes.