Mamdani begins term by wiping out 15 months of Adams’ orders

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani rescinded all executive orders issued by his predecessor over the last 15 months as part of a flurry of actions as the city’s new leader took office Jan. 1.

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The directive revoked all executive orders former mayor Eric Adams had issued since Sept. 26, 2024, the day he was indicted on federal corruption charges. Those charges were later dropped by the Justice Department under President Donald Trump. Mamdani’s action is designed to ensure “a fresh start for the incoming administration,” the mayor’s office said in a statement. 

Among the orders revoked were two controversial items, including one that barred certain city officials from engaging in procurement practices “that discriminate against the State of Israel, Israeli citizens, or those associated with Israel.” It also outlined similar guidance for city pension officials to prohibit divesting from Israel-related holdings. 

An earlier action, adopted in June, codified a broad definition of antisemitism, which some opponents said conflated criticism of Israel’s government with prejudice against Jews.

Adams maintained both orders were intended to support the city’s Jewish community, though others argued the more recent action was intended to undermine Mamdani’s term. Mamdani has been a vocal critic of Israel’s government and has supported the “Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions” movement.

Mamdani issued several other orders Thursday and Friday, including one that reorganized the city’s senior leadership, another that created a new office devoted to community engagement and three that concern housing and real estate.

One order re-established the Mayor’s Office to Protect Tenants, a city agency created in 2019, while two additional missives created task forces to review city-owned sites for possible development and identify regulations and procedures that could be streamlined to accelerate the production of affordable housing.