New York city mayor Eric Adams joined Arutz Sheva - Israel National News to speak about his upcoming appearance at the Arutz Sheva Jerusalem Conference in New York. Adams is expected to be awarded the Jerusalem prize at the conference.
He began by addressing the growing wave of antisemitism on campuses. “Here in New York City, we have one of the most diverse populations globally. Not only do we have the largest Jewish population outside of Israel, but we also have the large one the largest South American, Central American, Muslims, Christians - this is a city where diversity is important. We're going to maintain the principle that democracy means the right to protest, not the right to violence and to destroy property. As President Biden stated, it is imperative that we maintain the level of law and order that this country is known for.”
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Adams addressed the actions of academic leadership in particular. “It's a very challenging moment for them. Colleges are not really prepared for this number of people. 48% of the people who we arrested during the last few days were not part of the school community.”
Adams has faced resentment from his constituents for his stance. “The beauty of America is that you allowed to have your own opinion and philosophy. I always say we have 8.3 million New Yorkers and 35 million opinions, and I have obligation and responsibility to ensure the safety of the city.”
He praised the police’s actions against the protesters: “The NYPD are called the finest because of how they executed very complicated operations. They encountered violence and they handled it with the level of professionalism that we expect.”
He denounced the protests against Israel. “These can't be defined as simply protests against the policies of of Israel, rather hateful and anti-semitic protests. I was in protests as a young man and I was even part of protest as a police officer. Israel is a place of protests. The right to protest is important to our countries, but what we're seeing now is an attempt to radicalize our young people. When you have young people calling for the death of your country, that we cannot ignore.”
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Adams says the phenomenon is not limited to the US. “Across the globe, when young people are radicalized, it's an extremely dangerous place to be.”
He described his plan to handle the problem. “We have to go to the foundation and dam each stream that is feeding this river of hate. It starts with communication, education, and then bringing groups together that historically felt they could not share the foundational belief that we must live in peaceful and safe societies. We must make sure we use the right touch of law enforcement, like we witnessed on the college campuses, because there will be cases when those extreme views will move to the level of violence and we must allow police personnel to do what they do best.”
He referred to the world's lessening interest in the October 7th massacre. “I think one of the reasons that people don't really understand how devastating October 7th was is because of how it was explained. I think the government and the families who are involved must make a tough choice and decision to allow the world to see the video documentation of what actually happened on October 7th, that Hamas is a dangerous organization and they must be destroyed.”
Adams believes that even the US Administration may need a reminder. “No one wants children killed, but if we don't dismantle and destroy Hamas, this violence is going to continue.”
Adams says he has a special relationship with the New York Jewish community. “My relationship with the Jewish community goes back to childhood. Many people don't know the real role the Jewish Community has played in the black civil rights movement. We believe in public safety, family, the right to have your own faith and belief, and those are the cornerstones of what make this city and country great.”
That is the same relationship he wants for his own children: "My son needs to know the young Jewish scholars and students of today and other groups to consciously ensure that as we build big cities, we also build a next generation that is committed to love and peace."
He spoke directly to the Jews of New York. “We have an obligation to protect all citizens. We have witnessed an increase in hate crime, and we're going to maintain law and order in this city. This is not going to be a city where a person has to take off his his yarmulke to enter the train. This city will be a beacon of light for the entire globe.”
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