Overview

• The executive order directs city agencies to use the IHRA working definition to identify and respond to antisemitic incidents.
• Antisemitic acts accounted for 54% of all NYPD-reported hate crimes last year and have risen to 57% so far in 2025.
• Critics including the Progressive Israel Network warn the definition’s inclusion of certain anti-Zionist speech could suppress legitimate free expression.
• Adams established the Mayor’s Office to Combat Antisemitism in May, the first dedicated municipal office of its kind in the US.
• Several mayoral contenders, such as Andrew Cuomo and Whitney Tilson, have pledged to adopt the IHRA definition if elected.