New York City Mayor Eric Adams on Thursday delivered a forceful denunciation of rising antisemitism in a speech that warned of the growing normalization of hatred in society and institutions, referencing a recent controversial art installation on Governor’s Island that included praise for Hamas and virulently anti-Israel messages.
“The unleashed hate that has spread throughout our city, around this country, and across the globe,” Adams said, “has been weighing on my heart in a heavy way.”
Adams compared the institutionalization of antisemitism to other historical forms of systemic hatred. “As an African American, it goes without saying that slavery will always remind us of how institutions normalize their horrors... But this experience is not unique to African Americans.”
He warned of a troubling pattern in recent events: “This past weekend, a so-called art installation was spotted on Governor’s Island. It included paintings that praised the terrorist organization Hamas and displayed disturbing signs that paraded anti-Israel profanity.”
Displaying examples of the installation, Adams stated, “Putting a Jewish star on the robe of a Klansman, equating Zionism with Nazism and fascism, stating that you are a Hamas lover... This right here is beyond the pale.”
While the unsanctioned display was quickly removed, the mayor noted that “a shocking number of people were afraid to call this out for what it is. But I am not one of those people. This was a vile, antisemitic exhibit.”
Highlighting the dangers of unchecked hate, Adams said, “Antisemitism is a virus that mutates. It comes back in different forms and finds new ways to hide in plain sight.”
He stressed that criticism of Israeli policy is not the same as antisemitism but condemned displays that praise Hamas as institutionalized hate. “Hamas is a terrorist organization that murders gay people, Jews, and Christians,” he reminded listeners. “We are now watching as antisemitism is institutionalized right before our very eyes.”
Adams also voiced alarm over the spread of antisemitic sentiment on campuses and social media. “It has sadly become the end thing,” he said, adding that young people have embraced “antisemitic slogans and soundbites” without understanding history.
He emphasized that antisemitism should be of concern to all Americans: “People might ask, you're not Jewish, so why should antisemitism concern you? To that question, I often tell the stories of the Jewish Americans who stood with Black people in other communities when racism and bigotry might not have directly concerned them.”
Recalling Jewish involvement in the civil rights movement and philanthropic efforts such as Julius Rosenwald’s funding of schools for Black children in the segregated South, Adams declared: “Today... we must do the same for our Jewish brothers and sisters as they did for us.”
Adams was unequivocal: “We will never surrender our city to hate, or to those who want to say they want to globalize the intifada, or to choose and believe and not refuse to condemn it, because it is literally a phrase that means death to Jews all over the world.”
He cited disturbing statistics: “Today, a whopping 57 percent of hate crimes in New York City target Jews. Just this week, a man was attacked in Midtown for wearing a yarmulke.”
Concluding with a personal note, Adams said, “Your pain has always been my pain... I did it not because I'm a public servant. I did it because of what I want for my family... and what I want for your children and theirs. A New York where every group, every faith, and every person can grow and thrive in safety and in prosperity.”