Israeli Consul General in New York Ofir Akunis met Friday with New York City Mayor Eric Adams.
Akunis thanked Adams for his support of Israel and the Jewish community, in the name of all of Israel's citizens.
He stressed, "The free world now needs courageous leadership, and you are a prime example of that! Strong together!"
Following the meeting, Adams wrote on social media: "New York City is so proud to be home to the largest Jewish population anywhere outside of Israel, and we take our work in protecting that community seriously."
"Today, we welcomed the new Consul General of Israel, Ofir Akunis, to New York City to redouble our efforts to fight antisemitism at home and abroad."
Earlier this week, upon taking up his position as Consul General, Akunis said, "Developments at Columbia and other campuses across America are unprecedented, frightening and very dangerous. A firm and swift response from the highest levels of political and university leadership is key to restoring confidence in our academic institutions."
"Images of Jewish students being barred from their own school buildings are horrific, and remnants of the darkest times in our history that we will not allow to be repeated. This cannot continue, and I commend Mayor Adams and the NYPD for making campus safe for Jews and non-Jews alike. Freedom of speech is not a license to intimidate and harass Jewish and pro-Israel students, or to commit antisemitic acts of violence."