New York's new mayor, Zohran Mamdani, took a drastic action on his first day in office.
He signed an executive order rescinding all orders issued by his predecessor, Eric Adams, after he was indicted on corruption charges.
Among the rescinded decrees are two that Adams highlighted as key support for Israel, writes New York Times .
One of the repealed orders, signed by Adams last month, prohibited city agencies from boycotting or divesting from Israel.
The second, from June last year, adopted a broad definition of anti-Semitism that equates some forms of criticism of Israel - such as opposition to its ethnically Jewish character - with anti-Semitism.
However, Mamdani did not abolish the city's office for combating anti-Semitism, which Adams had established in May of last year.
The new mayor's decision immediately sparked criticism from the former mayor and some conservative Jewish leaders, who had previously opposed Mamdani's candidacy.
Inna Vernikov, a Republican councilwoman from Brooklyn, attacked the mayor, claiming that one of the repealed orders "protects Jews who believe in self-determination from discrimination."
An hour later, she added, "pro-Hamas anti-Semites are arriving, encouraged" by the mayor.
During the campaign, Mamdani also caused concern among part of the Jewish community due to his open criticism of Israel.
On the other hand, he also won the votes of many New York Jews who were inspired by his campaign and who were not troubled by his views on the Middle East.
The new mayor has criticized Israel in ways once considered unthinkable for an elected official in the city with the largest Jewish population in America.
He called Israel an apartheid state, supported equal rights for followers of all religions rather than favoring Jews in the political and legal system, and supported the movement for the economic isolation of Israel known as Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions.
Concern was further heightened last week by the revelation of anti-Semitic posts dating back more than a decade by Catherine Almonte Da Costa, a senior advisor to Mamdani.
She resigned due to the backlash. Now 33, she is married to the city's deputy auditor, who is Jewish.
Despite everything, Mamdani reiterated in a press conference his promise to protect security and celebrate the contributions of Jews, pointing to the preservation of the Office to Combat Anti-Semitism as evidence. /Telegraph/
