New York City’s latest policy shift has sparked intense debate as Mayor Zohran Mamdani ushers in 2026 with a controversial decision.

On January 1, 2026, Mayor Mamdani abolished an executive order that aligned the city’s definition of antisemitism with the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) standard, a framework established to identify hatred toward Jews through rhetorical or physical actions against individuals, property, or community institutions.

Campus Tensions Rise After Policy Change

This order was originally signed by former Mayor Eric Adams to provide clarity in addressing antisemitic behavior. Jewish students at New York University (NYU) and Columbia University have voiced concerns over the revocation, fearing it may heighten tensions on campuses already grappling with protests, according to Fox News.

The issue has ignited sharp debate over how best to protect Jewish students while balancing free expression on university campuses. Critics of Mamdani’s decision worry that scrapping the IHRA definition sends a signal that could embolden divisive rhetoric at a time when tensions are already high.

Flash back to October 7, 2023, when the Hamas attack on Israel triggered waves of protests at Columbia University, an Ivy League institution on the Upper West Side. Since then, the campus has seen some of the most intense demonstrations nationwide, including an encampment on East Butler Lawn in April 2024, where hundreds chanted slogans critical of Israel. The unrest led to hundreds of arrests and student disciplinary actions.

By May 2025, Columbia’s Butler Library became a focal point as pro-Palestinian protesters occupied it, dubbing it “Basel Al-Araj Popular University,” and disrupted finals week with demonstrations and stickers on library doors. If that’s not a clear sign of how polarized things have become, what is? The question remains whether removing a standardized definition of antisemitism will pour fuel on this already fiery situation.

Student Voices Highlight Growing Fears

NYU hasn’t been spared the chaos either, with protests erupting in support of Columbia students and against Israel’s actions in Gaza. On December 12, 2024, a demonstration outside NYU’s library featured calls for an “intifada revolution” and claims that Tel Aviv is “stolen land.” Police intervened, arresting over 100 students during one such event.

Jewish students at both universities are sounding the alarm, feeling increasingly isolated in environments they describe as hostile. “Removing these safeguards and precautionary measures for Jewish students to keep us safe really feels like a direct move,” NYU student Mera Skoblo told Fox News Digital. That’s a gut punch—when students feel their safety is being traded for political points, something’s gone wrong.

“It feels like an attack,” Skoblo added to Fox News Digital. And who can blame her for feeling that way when campus protests already teeter on the edge of intimidation? The absence of a clear guideline to identify antisemitism could easily blur the lines between free speech and harmful rhetoric.

Professors and Protests Add to Unease

Over at Columbia, the atmosphere is no less troubling, with students pointing to faculty behavior as part of the problem. “I've had professors who have canceled class because of protests or encouraged students to go and participate in these protests,” said Columbia student Galia Labowitz to Fox News Digital. That’s not education—it’s indoctrination with extra credit.

Labowitz didn’t hold back on the personal toll, either. “Obviously, it's made me very uncomfortable, and it's really discouraged me from speaking up in class or being able to be very proud of my Jewish identity and my Zionist identity,” she told Fox News Digital. When students fear expressing who they are, universities have failed their core mission.

The broader concern here is that Mamdani’s decision might be seen as a green light for more disruptive activism. Without a clear benchmark like the IHRA standard, distinguishing between legitimate criticism and outright hostility becomes a murky mess. And let’s be honest—murky messes are where bad ideas thrive.

Balancing Rights in a Divided City

Supporters of the mayor might argue that revoking the order allows for freer dialogue on complex issues like the Middle East conflict. But at what cost? When Jewish students are left feeling targeted, the pendulum swings too far toward one side of the debate.

New York City, a melting pot of ideas and identities, deserves policies that protect everyone without picking winners and losers in cultural clashes. Scrapping a widely accepted definition of antisemitism risks alienating a community already under strain from campus unrest. It’s a misstep that could have been avoided with more careful consideration.

The road ahead for NYU and Columbia students looks uncertain, and the city’s leadership must tread carefully to avoid deepening divisions. While free speech is a cornerstone of democracy, it shouldn’t come at the expense of any group’s sense of security. Here’s hoping for a solution that doesn’t leave Jewish students caught in the crossfire of ideological battles.