New York City – January 2, 2026
In a move that has ignited swift backlash from Jewish advocacy organizations, New York City's newly inaugurated Mayor Zohran Mamdani faces accusations of erasing official commitments to combat antisemitism just hours after taking office. The Democratic Socialist, who made history as the city's first Muslim mayor, assumed control of the official @NYCMayor X account on January 1, only for two key posts highlighting the city's anti-hate efforts to vanish—prompting a fiery letter from the National Jewish Advocacy Center (NJAC) labeling the action "disturbing" and "shameful."
The deleted content was part of a three-post thread shared by outgoing Mayor Eric Adams on December 31, 2025, touting New York City's "first-ever municipal report" on fighting antisemitism as a "blueprint for 2026." When Mamdani's team took over the account, the first two posts in the thread disappeared, leaving only the final one intact. Notices on the platform now read, "This Post was deleted by the Post author," fueling speculation about the intent behind the purge.
"It is difficult to overstate how disturbing it is that one of your very first acts as Mayor of New York City, on your very first day in office, was to delete official @NYCMayor tweets addressing the protection of Jewish New Yorkers," NJAC Director Mark Goldfeder wrote in the open letter to Mamdani, which was also forwarded to the city's Department of Investigation and Conflicts of Interest Board. The group argued that the deletions send a "tone-deaf" message amid "unprecedented antisemitic intimidation, violence, and exclusion" in the city, potentially violating New York City's charter, which treats social media posts as public records that must be archived before removal.
Goldfeder emphasized that even if the posts were properly archived—a point of contention—the selective timing "invites scrutiny and erodes public trust." He added, "New York City’s mayoralty is an institution, not a social-media account to be curated for convenience or optics. The record matters, the law matters, and the safety and dignity of Jewish New Yorkers most certainly matter."
Mamdani's office pushed back forcefully, attributing the removals to routine housekeeping rather than any ideological motive. Spokesperson Dora Pekec stated, "The Mayor’s team has begun archiving posts from the @NYCMAYOR account that were published by the previous administration, in chronological order. This ongoing process is administrative in nature and is not based on the content of the posts." Pekec reaffirmed Mamdani's dedication to the issue, noting plans to "renew the Mayor’s Office to Combat Antisemitism and increas[e] funding for the Office for the Prevention of Hate Crimes by 800%."
The incident compounds a rocky start for Mamdani's administration, which has already weathered scrutiny over antisemitism ties. Just weeks before his inauguration, a top appointee—Catherine Almonte Da Costa, named Director of Appointments—resigned after decade-old social media posts resurfaced, including references to "money hungry Jews" and dubbing a subway line "the Jew train." The episode drew condemnation from Jewish groups and amplified concerns about Mamdani's inner circle, some of whom have links to anti-Zionist activism.
Mamdani, 34, a former state assemblyman and Democratic Socialists of America member, campaigned on progressive priorities like affordability and police reform but drew fire for his vocal criticism of Israel. He has refused to affirm Israel's right to exist as a Jewish state and pledged to arrest Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a "war criminal" if he visits the city. Despite this, Mamdani has sought to broaden his appeal to Jewish voters, including a recent Hanukkah video appearance with actor Mandy Patinkin.
On X, reactions poured in, with users decrying the deletions as a red flag. "When the first two posts Zohran Mamdani deletes after taking over the official mayoral X account are about combating antisemitism, that makes Zohran a… what? For $1. Thanks for playing The Jews are Right," quipped one poster. Another lamented, "Less than 24 hours and one of Mamdani’s first acts is to delete official posts about protecting Jews..."
The NJAC letter concluded with a stark warning: "Your first days in office will define your administration. This is not how that definition should begin." As Mamdani rolls out his agenda of "affordability and abundance," the controversy underscores the delicate tightrope he must walk in a city with one of the world's largest Jewish populations—over 1.1 million strong—and rising reports of hate incidents.
Mamdani's team has yet to respond directly to the NJAC beyond the initial statement, but city officials confirmed the archiving process is underway. Watchdogs say investigations into potential record-keeping lapses could follow if the deletions aren't fully documented.
This story is developing.
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