A U.S. Senate committee has opened a formal investigation into New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani over his decision to rescind several executive orders related to antisemitism. The inquiry centers on whether the move weakened protections for Jewish residents amid a rise in antisemitic incidents in New York City, according to the New York Post.
The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee launched the probe on Wednesday, citing what it described as “serious concerns” regarding the rescission of executive orders tied to antisemitism and boycotts of Israel.
Committee Chairman Bill Cassidy, a Republican from Louisiana, sent a letter to Mamdani questioning whether the rollback could undermine enforcement of federal civil rights laws.
Cassidy warned the changes could place as much as $2.2 billion in federal funding at risk if protections for Jewish students and residents are found to be compromised.
“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 wrote.
“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 added.
Cassidy also wrote that Jewish students “deserve clear assurance that their safety and civil rights will not be compromised by your administration’s actions.”
🚨NEWS: Chair @SenBillCassidy launched oversight into socialist New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani for his recent actions that embolden antisemitism and put Jewish New Yorkers in harm’s way.https://t.co/EaArqjH8d0
— Senate HELP Committee GOP (@GOPHELP) February 5, 2026
Exclusive | Senate launches probe of Mamdani’s anti-Israel orders, threatens NYC’s federal funding https://t.co/lg4SwYgNnK pic.twitter.com/VNOisVd1gz
— New York Post (@nypost) February 5, 2026
On his first day in office, Mamdani signed an executive order nullifying all executive orders issued by former Mayor Eric Adams following Adams’ federal indictment.
Among the rescinded orders were measures prohibiting city agencies from boycotting or divesting from Israel and adopting the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism.
🚨Zohran Mamdani has appointed Phylisa Wisdom to lead the Mayor’s Office to Combat Antisemitism.
Phylisa is viciously anti-zionist
& more concerned about PaIestinians than Jews or NY’ers.
Her antagonism makes her unfit for the role – Moshe Davis should remain in position. pic.twitter.com/g3H3xi2M3E— Manhattan Mingle (@ManhattanMingle) February 4, 2026
The IHRA definition includes certain attacks on Israel’s legitimacy as forms of antisemitism.
Jewish leaders raised concerns over Mamdani’s decision, pointing to his past support for the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, which advocates cutting economic and institutional ties with Israel.
Jonathan Greenblatt, chief executive officer of the Anti-Defamation League, criticized Mamdani’s record on issues affecting the Jewish community.
Mamdani, in resurfaced 2021 video, urged activists to demand that local candidates support BDS:
“Speaking up for Israel comes with everything you might want, and we need to show that it’s not that way anymore. There are consequences for speaking up in favor of apartheid.” pic.twitter.com/t5kWV7tNy5
— Jacob N. Kornbluh (@jacobkornbluh) June 18, 2025
Greenblatt cited what he described as Mamdani’s “long-standing, troubling record on matters of great concern to the Jewish community.”
The Senate investigation comes amid a surge in antisemitic incidents following the Oct. 7, 2023, attack by Hamas on Israel, which left more than 1,000 civilians and government personnel dead.
Mamdani telling Americans to follow Islam and the Prophet Muhammad as a “moral compass” is an insane choice, considering Muhammad MARRIED a 9-year-old. pic.twitter.com/pOdfBsxtaQ
— Steven Crowder (@scrowder) February 7, 2026
The ADL reported that incidents involving violence or threats against Jewish New Yorkers reached a record high in 2024, with 1,437 cases recorded.
That figure marked an 18 percent increase from 2023 and the highest total reported by any state.
Police data also showed that anti-Jewish hate crimes in New York City nearly tripled in January 2026 compared with the same period the previous year.
