Slater: Repeal of IHRA antisemitism definition is a dangerous first act by Mayor Mamdani

Assemblyman Matt Slater

In his first day in office, Mayor Mamdani took the dangerous step of repealing the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of antisemitism. The IHRA definition is a widely recognized tool used to clearly identify and confront antisemitism, adopted by dozens of countries, states and municipalities, including Yorktown under my leadership as Town Supervisor, to demonstrate unity against hate. In the Assembly, Mamdani’s Democrats refused to allow the same definition to receive a full floor vote—legislation I wrote and introduced. Now, as the Mayor of New York City, home to the largest Jewish population outside of Israel, Mayor Mamdani’s repeal of this definition marks a dangerous start to his tenure. We must be prepared to protect our Jewish brothers and sisters from the ongoing rise of antisemitism that the Mayor’s actions are perpetuating.