NYCLU Criticizes Mayor Adams for Supporting IHRA's Definition of Antisemitism

NEW YORK – In response to Mayor Adams' recent executive order and legislative proposal endorsing the IHRA (International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance) definition of antisemitism, the New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU) issued a notable statement from Executive Director Donna Lieberman. She remarked, “Mayor Adams is misappropriating the vital struggle against antisemitism to suppress opposing political views. Advocates have long warned that the IHRA definition dangerously conflates genuine criticism of Israel with bigotry, encroaching on protected free speech rights." Lieberman expressed concern over Adams' complicated relationship with the First Amendment, highlighting his prior comments against church-state separation, denunciations of campus activism, and the NYPD's troubling history with peaceful protesters. "It's imperative to stress that Mayor Adams lacks the authority to alter legislation or sidestep First Amendment protections through executive actions. We urge the City Council to embody New York values and protect the voices of its citizens.”