A significant political confrontation has emerged between Louisiana Republican Senator Bill Cassidy and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani regarding civil rights protections for Jewish students. Senator Cassidy, serving as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), has formally demanded explanations for Mamdani’s decision to revoke two executive orders originally implemented by former Mayor Eric Adams in December.
The rescinded orders specifically addressed anti-Israel boycotts in municipal environments and established restrictions on protests near synagogues. Cassidy’s letter expresses profound concern that these reversals potentially endanger Jewish students and may violate federal civil rights protections. The senator emphasized that New York City’s access to $2 billion in federal education funding remains contingent upon compliance with federal civil rights statutes.
Cassidy has requested Mayor Mamdani’s response to six critical questions by February 19th, including inquiries about the administration’s definition of antisemitism, specific protection plans for Jewish students, and the mayor’s personal stance on the Boycott, Sanctions, and Divestment (BDS) movement. The senator specifically referenced the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) definition of antisemitism, previously adopted by the Trump administration.
This political dispute occurs against a complex backdrop. The BDS movement, approximately twenty years old, advocates for non-violent pressure on Israel regarding its occupation of Palestinian territories, apartheid allegations, and military actions in Gaza. Thirty-eight U.S. states have enacted legislation opposing BDS activities. New York City itself hosts substantial Jewish and Muslim populations, each numbering approximately one million, creating a delicate demographic balance that influences policy decisions.
The original executive orders stemmed from a November incident outside Manhattan’s Park East Synagogue, where protesters demonstrated against an event promoting Jewish migration to Israeli settlements in the West Bank. These settlements are considered illegal under international law. The protest included chants such as ‘Death to the IDF’ and ‘globalise the intifada,’ referring to Israel’s military and the concept of Palestinian uprising against oppression.