The Israeli-American Council (IAC) New York and New Jersey chapter last night presented Mayor Eric Adams with the Friend of Israel and the Jewish People Award for his strong support for Israel and for fighting antisemitism.
Presenting Mayor Adams with the award, IAC New York Council Member Isaac Hera of New York expressed “our sincere appreciation and profound gratitude” for Adams, “whose enduring support for the Jewish community and the State of Israel has been both consistent and deeply impactful.” The award plaque said Mayor Adams’ “leadership is a light of hope and strength for us all.”
Mayor Adams reiterated his steadfast support for the State of Israel, saying that after the Oct. 7 Hamas terror attacks against Israel, some New Yorkers urged him to stop holding the Celebrate Israel Parade in the city. “I was very loud and I was very clear. We will never give in to hate,” he said. “Hamas should be destroyed and the hostages should come home. I cannot say it any clearer.”
Adams also underscored his continued call to fight growing antisemitism in the city with the world’s largest Jewish population outside Israel and worldwide.
“I get that you are watching college campuses of Ivy League schools turning into beacons of hate, spreading radicalization among our young people not only to hate Jewish people but to hate this country,” he said. “No one has the right to remain silent in the face of the rise of the antisemitism we see across the globe. All of your allies and partners need to stand up. There is only one question we need to ask: Whose side are you on? Are we on the side of those who are fighting to end hatred and antisemitism, or are you on the side of those who are supporting it? I know the side that I’m on.”
Also attending the IAC New York and New Jersey gala, called “United By Israel,” and taking place at the Rainbow Room, was IAC CEO, the former US Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism Elan Carr; former Israeli hostage of the terror group Hamas, Eliyah Cohen; Australian journalist Erin Molan; IAC National Co-Chair Tal Shuster; IAC National Board Members Miri Shepher and Jackie Teplitzky.
