Mamdani Signs Five Executive Orders on His First Day in Office, Including One Aimed Squarely at Eric Adams

New York City’s new mayor wasted no time dismantling key policies of his predecessor — including multiple executive orders that supported Israel — in a sweeping series of actions taken on the first day of his administration.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani issued a flurry of executive orders just hours after being sworn in, formally erasing a slate of directives signed by former Mayor Eric Adams. According to WPIX-TV, Mamdani signed three executive orders related to housing affordability, including one establishing the basic structure of his administration.

But the most consequential move came when Mamdani signed an order nullifying every executive order Adams issued on or after Sept. 26, 2024 — the day Adams was indicted on federal bribery charges that were later dropped.

“We have to reckon with why so many New Yorkers have turned away from politics over the last few months, the last few years, the last few decades, and that was a date that marked a moment when many New Yorkers decided that politics held nothing for them,” Mamdani said, according to the Daily News.

Mamdani argued that many of Adams’ late-term executive orders were “against the interests of working-class people and what they need from their mayor.”

However, a review of the wiped-out orders shows that several of the nine directives Mamdani targeted were explicitly supportive of Israel — a move that immediately sparked backlash.

Among the rescinded orders was one aimed at opposing the anti-Israel Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement. That order prohibited city contracting actions “that discriminates against the state of Israel, Israeli citizens based on their national origin, or individuals or entities based on their association with Israel.”

Mamdani also eliminated an executive order adopting the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) definition of antisemitism — a widely recognized standard used to identify and combat antisemitic discrimination.

The decision drew swift condemnation from City Council member Inna Vernikov.

“Mamdani @NYCMayor just UNDID previous executive order which adopted the IHRA definition of antisemitism. IHRA protects from discrimination Jews who believe in self determination and provides clarity on the definition,” Vernikov posted on X.

She then turned her criticism toward New York Gov. Kathy Hochul.

“@GovKathyHochul knew all along that Mamdani was going to eliminate IHRA on day one, (it was his top campaign promise) and yet she REFUSED to take action. In June of 2022, she signed a NON-BINDING PROCLAMATION adopting IHRA, but never signed an EO. @GovKathyHochul can fix this with the stroke of a pen! Will she stand up to Mamdani or will she cower to avoid a Mamdani primary? The Jewish community is watching!” Vernikov wrote.

Vernikov also objected to Mamdani’s decision to scrap an executive order that restricted protests near houses of worship.

“Mamdani @NYCMayor also just SCRATCHED Executive Order 61, which established zones in which protests close to the entrance of HOUSES OF WORSHIP would be prohibited/regulated. The EO also added additional restrictions on protest activities during publicly scheduled religious services. We need to enforce federal law that’s already in place here because the pro-Hamas antisemites emboldened by @NYCMayor are coming!” she posted.

Mamdani, the city’s first Muslim mayor, said he plans to retain the Mayor’s Office to Combat Anti-Semitism, which was created by Adams, though he indicated the office would undergo unspecified changes under his administration.

In addition to the Israel-related orders, Mamdani also rescinded other Adams-era directives, including one that allowed federal immigration agents to operate on Rikers Island and another that banned New York City’s horse carriage industry.

The sweeping rollback marks a dramatic ideological pivot for City Hall — one that critics warn could have serious implications for public safety, religious freedom, and New York City’s stance on Israel.