Eric Adams Issues Executive Orders on Israel and Protests — Direct Challenge to Incoming Mayor Zohran Mamdani
As of December 4, 2025, New York City’s soon-to-depart mayor, Eric Adams, enacted two controversial executive orders. These orders are widely interpreted not only as final acts of governance, but as a direct challenge to incoming mayor Zohran Mamdani, who assumes office January 1, 2026.
What the Orders Do
First Order (No. 60): Bars city agencies, contracting officers, and pension fund trustees from adopting any procurement or investment practices that discriminate against the state of Israel, Israeli citizens, or entities associated with Israel. In practical terms, this prohibits the city from divesting or boycotting Israeli-linked bonds or businesses.
Second Order: Directs the police commissioner to review — and potentially revise — regulations on protests near houses of worship. This follows recent demonstrations outside a synagogue on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, which provoked complaints from some Jewish community leaders.
Adams framed the orders as measures to counter rising antisemitism, arguing the city must protect Jewish New Yorkers’ right to worship without harassment and preserve “taxpayers’ money” from being used in discriminatory ways.
Why This Matters: The Pension Fund, Political Signaling, and the BDS Debate
The stakes are not purely symbolic. New York City’s pension system — part of a broader $250+ billion public-funds apparatus — held roughly $300 million in Israeli bonds and assets, per the mayor’s office. That financial footprint gives real weight to any policy on divestment or sanctions.
The decision to lock in those investments has less to do with finance and more to do with message: it serves as a preemptive shield against the incoming mayor’s well-known criticism of Israel and vocal support for the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement. In other words: invest first, question later — or, perhaps, never.
Observers view the move as a last-minute attempt to constrain Mamdani, whose public statements on Palestinian rights, divestment, and potential ICC (International Criminal Court) arrest warrants for Israeli leadership have already stirred intense debate.
Mamdani’s Response — And the Political Flashpoint Ahead
Mayor-elect Mamdani has responded coolly, noting that he may review — or even reverse — the orders once he takes office. This sets up a sharp clash: a transition from a pro-Israel, pro-status-quo investment stance to a potential divestment approach aligned with global human-rights activism and calls for greater scrutiny of Israel’s conduct in Gaza and the West Bank.
Supporters of Mamdani point out that the previous city comptroller (a Mamdani ally) already wound down Israeli bond holdings in 2023 — though some assets remain locked in Israeli-linked equities.
Opponents warn that such a pivot could inflame tensions with Jewish communities, investors, and diplomatic allies, and exacerbate divisions over what constitutes legitimate political protest versus hate speech. The second executive order’s restrictions on protests near houses of worship already drew criticism from civil-liberties advocates worried about curtailing free expression.
Broader Implications: Free Speech, City Finance, and the Definition of Antisemitism
This showdown reaches beyond NYC’s city hall. It touches on larger, contested issues:
Free Speech vs. Hate Speech
How should the city regulate protests that target Israel — especially near religious sites — without undermining constitutional rights? The second order reveals the slipperiness of balancing security, tolerance, and free expression.
Public Funds and Global Conflict
With major pension assets tied to foreign companies, municipal investment decisions are no longer parochial bookkeeping tasks — they become statements on international politics.
Defining Antisemitism in a Polarized Era
The first order draws a firm line equating BDS-aligned moves with “discrimination against Israel or Israelis.” Critics of such definitions — including human-rights and free-speech groups — warn they risk conflating legitimate criticism of a state’s actions with antisemitism, thereby suppressing dissent.
The potential reinstatement or repeal of these orders by Mamdani’s administration may end up being among the most contentious early decisions of his mayoralty — effectively setting a tone for how New York navigates global conflicts with local consequences.
What to Watch Next
- Will the incoming mayor rescind or amend the orders — particularly the one governing divestment?
- How will New York’s pension trustees react, legally and politically, if pressured to divest from Israeli-linked entities?
- Will there be legal challenges — perhaps by business groups or civil-liberties organizations — if protest regulations near houses of worship are expanded or tightened?
- How will Jewish, Muslim, Palestinian, and broader New York communities respond — and will this deepen polarization or foster new coalitions?
Given the volatile environment around Gaza, Israel, Jewish-Muslim relations, and global public opinion — and with New York City’s unique demographic mix — this may become a bellwether not just for US municipal politics, but for how democracy grapples with global human rights, financial entanglements, and identity-driven activism.
This article is offered as reporting and analysis by mamdaniPost.com.
