Mayor Adams signs executive order adopting antisemitism definition, urges Council to make it law

New York City Mayor Eric Adams signed an executive order Sunday at Tribeca Synagogue in Lower Manhattan recognizing a widely used international definition of antisemitism, part of a broader push to confront a spike in anti-Jewish hate across the five boroughs.

Adams stood alongside Dr. Phil McGraw to announce the measure, which adopts the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s “working definition of antisemitism.” City agencies will now use the definition to help identify and respond to antisemitic incidents, which account for more than half of all hate crimes in New York City, according to City Hall.

Jewish New Yorkers make up more than 11% of the city’s population, according to city estimates.

“This [order] will enable us to promote understanding and facilitate a thoughtful response to antisemitic hate in New York City, a thoughtful response,” Adams said.

According to the IHRA, antisemitism is defined as “a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews.” While the definition is already used by the U.S. State Department and dozens of governments worldwide, it has drawn criticism from some groups, who have said it could be misused.

In a Jan. 12 statement, members of the Progressive Israel Network reportedly warned that parts of the IHRA’s language, particularly those citing criticism of Israel, could be exploited “to suppress legitimate free speech.”

The New York Civil Liberties Union accused Adams of "weaponizing the critical fight against antisemitism to suppress protected political speech he doesn’t like."

"Advocates have warned for years that the IHRA definition of antisemitism recklessly conflates criticism of Israel with hate and violates the Constitution’s free speech protections," Donna Lieberman, the nonprofit's executive director, said in a statement. "It’s yet another example of the Mayor twisting to do [President Donald] Trump’s bidding."

On Sunday, Adams also introduced legislation urging the City Council to codify the definition into local law, which he said is necessary in fighting what he called a wave of anti-Jewish rhetoric and violence.

The move comes amid a documented rise in antisemitic attacks. Last year, such incidents accounted for 54% of all hate crimes reported by the NYPD. That figure rose to 57% so far this year, according to City Hall.

Last month, Adams, who is running for reelection as an independent, established the Mayor’s Office to Combat Antisemitism, the first such office in a major U.S. city.

“Recognizing the IHRA definition of antisemitism is critical to confront hate and understand the pervasiveness of antisemitism,” said Moshe Davis, executive director of the Mayor’s Office to Combat Antisemitism. “We will no longer tolerate denying the Jewish community the right to self-determination, using code words to demean Jewish New Yorkers, or targeting our community while claiming to target Zionists; we’ve seen the violence this breeds. Antisemitism has no place in our schools, our government, or our city.”

Adams is now calling on the City Council to pass legislation to make the definition legally binding. A spokesperson for City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams said the Council is already investing in programs to combat antisemitism and noted the mayor’s executive budget did not fund such efforts.

“The Council consistently prioritizes fighting antisemitism and all forms of hate by supporting efforts across the city to root them out, including directly funding critical programs that help young people identify and reject them,” spokesperson Mara Davis said. “That’s why we are currently working to secure investments for programs that combat antisemitism and hate throughout our neighborhoods, which were not funded in the Mayor’s Executive Budget.”

She also noted that the mayor’s budget reduced funding for the city’s Commission on Human Rights and said the Council first learned of his legislative proposal from the press release.

This story has been updated with additional information.