WASHINGTON — A US Senate panel launched a probe Wednesday of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s administration, citing “serious concerns” about the “rescission of executive orders related to antisemitism and boycotts of Israel.”
Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Chairman Bill Cassidy (R-La.) wrote a letter to Mamdani asking whether the scrapping of the orders would hamper the enforcement of civil rights law — thus risking the revocation of $2.2 billion in federal funds.
“Antisemitism is not an abstract concern in New York City; it is a lived reality for millions of students and residents, and its consequences are very serious,” Cassidy told Mamdani in the letter reviewed by The Post.
“Decisions by your administration that weaken established safeguards for Jewish students in New York and are out of alignment with federal executive orders warrant careful scrutiny,” he said.
“Jewish students deserve clear assurance that their safety and civil rights will not be compromised by your administration’s actions.”
A January survey found that a majority of Jewish voters (53%) in the Big Apple felt threatened by the Democratic socialist mayor’s statements and similar remarks by his allies.
Mamdani voided every executive order signed by former New York City Mayor Eric Adams since the day his predecessor was indicted on federal corruption charges in September 2024.
That included a June 8, 2025, order that “created the Mayor’s Office to Combat Antisemitism to identify and develop efforts to eliminate antisemitism and anti-Jewish hate crime,” and the Dec. 2 order that year opposed boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) policies regarding Israel.
Mamdani called Israel an apartheid state and backed the controversial BDS movement before taking office.
Cassidy in his letter said the former order used the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism.
“Contrary to your public assertions that ‘a number of leading Jewish organizations have immense concerns around [the IHRA] definition,’ many governments, international institutions, universities, NGOs, and private organizations widely recognize and encourage use of this definition to identify and address contemporary forms of antisemitism,” the Senate HELP chairman wrote.
Mamdani has also criticized the definition for conflating criticism of Israel and Zionism with antisemitism.
“I am someone who has supported and support BDS and nonviolent approaches to address Israeli state violence,” he previously told Bloomberg News.
The latter Adams order also barred mayoral appointees, contracting officers and departmental heads from enacting policies that discriminated against Israel or Israeli citizens.
Staff at the New York City Department of Health this week created a working group that may have been banned under Adams for accusing Israel of genocide.
The employees’ “Global Oppression and Public Health Working Group” held a meeting Tuesday afternoon where a presenter listed one of its aims as responding “to the ongoing genocide in Palestine,” The Post first reported.
Cassidy also cautioned in his missive that the New York City Department of Education was in line to receive $2.2 billion in federal funding for its operating budget, as of June 2025.
“Continued eligibility for this funding is contingent on compliance with federal civil rights laws and applicable executive orders designed to protect students,” the GOP chairman said.
Cassidy asked Mamdani to explain how his administration will “combat antisemitism at schools” and “protect Jewish students,” to share another possible definition of antisemitism it plans to adopt or any guidance its provided to schools on the handling of complaints.
He also asked whether the Mamdani administration “consulted with the US Department of Education,” “the Department of Justice or any other federal agency regarding the potential funding implications of rescinding the IHRA-related executive order.”
And he demanded clarification on the mayor’s stance regarding the BDS movement.
Mamdani’s reply is expected by Feb. 19, Cassidy wrote. Reps for the mayor didn’t immediately comment.
