In one of his final acts as mayor, Eric Adams has signed a pair of executive orders that bar the city from boycotting Israel and tighten police protections around synagogues.
During Wednesday night’s North American Mayors Summit Against Antisemitism, Adams said the executive orders demonstrate his administration’s support for a robust New York–Israel partnership.
“We are proud to sign this executive order and affirm that our investments and contracts should be made on the basis of what is best for New York City and our economic future, and not in pursuit of discriminatory policies on the basis of politics and national origin,” Adams said.
“This executive order builds on our long track record of fighting back against antisemitism wherever it rears its ugly head and making the investments that help boost our city.”
According to the New York Post, Executive Order 60 prohibits city agencies and pension trustees from using their contracts or investment portfolios to boycott Israel, ensuring no department can adopt BDS-inspired policies. Executive Order 61 pushes the NYPD to update its patrol guide to better protect religious institutions by considering designated buffer zones and other restrictions on protests that take place directly outside synagogues, churches, and mosques.
The measures follow a pro-Hamas demonstration last month at the Park East Synagogue on the Upper East Side, during which protesters chanted violent slogans such as “globalize the intifada” and “death to the IDF.”
“New York City has always been this nation’s melting pot, but, too often, over the last few years, we’ve seen those of Jewish ancestry be singled out and targeted,” Adams declared. “Today, we are ensuring our city government doesn’t participate in that type of behavior and are putting in safeguards that protect New Yorkers’ tax dollars and protect their right to practice their religion without harassment.”
New York City oversees more than $32 billion in annual procurement and nearly $300 billion in pension investments, including over $300 million tied to Israeli assets. The city’s comptroller serves as the investment advisor for the city’s five pension systems—supporting more than 750,000 workers, retirees, and beneficiaries—alongside boards made up of representatives from the mayor’s office, city agencies, and municipal unions.
Outgoing Comptroller Brad Lander has already scaled back the city’s holdings in Israeli government bonds, though the pension funds continue to invest in Israeli companies. But now, trustees under the mayor’s authority are directed to oppose any divestment that targets Israel for political reasons.
Adam’s orders will pose a problem for incoming Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a longtime supporter of the BDS movement, who must now decide whether to support or rescind the mandate — hardly the issue he hoped to confront in his first days in office.
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