Email from Zionist Organization of America   ZIONIST ORGANIZATION OF AMERICA   A Warning from History: Antisemitic Mayor Mamdani and the Dismantling of Jewish Protections — Bryan Rigg, PhD (Yale, Cambridge University), American Military and Holocaust Historian January 5, 2026 Dear Friends, I am writing out of serious concern regarding actions taken by Mayor Zohran Mamdani on his first day in office and what they signal for New York City’s Jewish community in particular and the world in general. As a Holocaust historian, I have spent decades studying how antisemitism takes hold—not only through violence, but through policy decisions, legal reversals, and the systematic removal of protections for Jews. History teaches us that danger rarely begins with overt brutality. It begins when leaders normalize hostility and dismantle safeguards, often under ideological pretexts. On his very first day as mayor of the city with the largest Jewish population in the world, Mayor Mamdani took the following actions: Revoked New York City’s use of the IHRA definition of antisemitism, eliminating the city’s primary tool for identifying modern antisemitism, including when it targets Jews under the guise of “anti-Zionism.” Eliminated the city’s anti-BDS executive order, signaling that economic warfare against the world’s only Jewish state is now acceptable city policy. Israel, again, is the only functioning democracy in the Middle East, one that embraces religious freedom, gay rights and women's rights. No Muslim run state embraces these freedoms. Moreover, Israel is an ally of the United States. Rolled back NYPD guidance limiting protests outside synagogues, protections implemented after Jewish institutions were directly targeted. Dissolved NYC–Israel economic cooperation initiatives, severing formal ties between the city and Israeli-American businesses and communities. As journalist Amy Albertson noted, when a mayor’s first executive actions dismantle measures specifically designed to protect the Jewish population, it is reasonable to draw conclusions about intent or, at the very least, indifference. History shows that such indifference is never benign. Continue Reading   Share This Email Share This Email Share This Email   DONATE   www.zoa.org Copyright © Zionist Organization of America 2026. All rights reserved. Zionist Organization of America | 633 Third Ave 31 B | New York, NY 10017 US Unsubscribe | Update Profile | Constant Contact Data Notice