On May 15, 2025, New York City Mayor Eric Adams appeared on I24News’ “The Rundown” to discuss the establishment of the nation’s first major city office dedicated to combating antisemitism, launched in response to a significant rise in hate crimes against Jewish residents. Highlighting that Jewish New Yorkers, who make up 10 percent of the city’s population, accounted for over 61 percent of hate crimes in 2025, Adams outlined the office’s role in proactively addressing antisemitism through interagency coordination, enhanced monitoring of city communications, and community engagement initiatives like Breaking Bread, Building Bonds. He also proposed a citywide mask ban to curb anonymity-driven crimes and called for zero-tolerance plea bargaining for hate crimes. Emphasizing New York City’s leadership, Adams urged stronger national efforts to counter antisemitism, including addressing radicalization on college campuses and condemning terrorist organizations like Hamas.
Transcript: Mayor Adams Appears on I24News’ “The Rundown”
Benita Levin: Turning now to the fight against antisemitism in the United States. A disturbing spike in cases since the start of the war more than 19 months ago. A war started by Hamas on the 7th of October. Now, New York City Mayor Eric Adams has established an office dedicated to fighting antisemitism, making New York City the first major city in America with such an office.
So now we welcome New York City Mayor Eric Adams. Mayor, thank you so much for your time and congratulations on setting up this office. Incredibly sad to think a city would have to do so in 2025. An alarming number of cases of antisemitism and hate crimes. So tell us about this office you’ve set up. What can you tell us?
Mayor Eric Adams: It’s part of our overall plan of dealing with the eradication of hate in our city. And as a former law enforcement officer, when you attempt to correct a condition such as a crime, a hate crime of any type of hate, you want to go into those numbers that are the highest and most impacted. And it jumps off at the page clearly that the Jewish community is being impacted by the hate that we’re seeing. And it’s becoming pervasive not only here in New York City, but across the country and globe.
Just this year, the Jewish community comprises 10 percent of our city, yet over 61 percent of the hate crimes were carried out on the Jewish residents. We have to respond to that. You can’t ignore it. You cannot state that it is something that is going to pass. In fact, it seems to continue to elevate and we wanted to intervene immediately. And this office is one of the tools that we’re going to use to address the problem.
Levin: And it’s disturbing to think simply walking in the street, going to synagogue, wearing a yarmulke or a skullcap, even going to class on campus can put one in harm’s way. So what are the cases that have shocked you that have stood out to you personally?
Mayor Adams: Yeah, and I think it’s very important because we don’t want to send a mixed message. Sometimes you have to be very delicate in how you respond to incidents like this. This is the safest big city in America. And every day, Jewish residents go about worshipping, working, and enjoying the beauty of this city. But we’re not going to ignore that any act of hate should be stamped out. And one should not be discouraged from wearing a yarmulke on the subway system or their star David at their place of employment or going to a synagogue.
And when you look at the numbers of citizens here in New York, 8.5 million people, they go about their day in a safe way. But there’s clearly a problem with the acts of antisemitism, the drawing of the swastikas, the attacking someone as they walk into a synagogue. Or we had a young person in Crown Heights that experienced someone grabbing their child while they were walking down the street.
One of the locations that is extremely important to our city is a place called 770. It is the headquarters of the Lubavitcher community. The Grand Rebbe started it many years ago. There were attempts to go inside and be disruptive inside the place of study and worship. And those types of incidents, we cannot allow them to take a foothold in our city. And that is what we are ensuring we put in place, this office, to say not in this city. Hate has no place here.
Levin: So what exactly then would the interagency task force actually do? What would be different right now in terms of protecting the Jewish community compared to before?
Mayor Adams: It’s a great question because it’s more than just hate crimes. We have an excellent police department and great prosecutors who address the issues of crime when someone is arrested or someone carries out an act and we have to conduct an investigation. That is great to do, but we want to be more proactive. Clearly defining what antisemitism is. Utilizing all of our agencies to determine if we are funding any entity that is not clear on stamping out hate in general or specifically antisemitism. And then look at some of the materials that we’re sending out.
We had two incidents recently in our Department of Education where newsletters went out with some horrific things inside. And we want to do a better monitoring of those types of communications that’s coming from city agencies. And then continue our Breaking Bread, Building Bonds. It is an important initiative that we put in place to bring people together and engage in real conversations about hate, but also about antisemitism. We have a great director we put in place. He’s going to create a Jewish or enhance our Jewish Advisory Council and get feedback from everyday people who are experiencing any form of anti-semitism so we can move together and stop the progression that we’re witnessing.
Levin: And mayor, specifically on these elite campuses, including in New York, it’s been disturbing to see some of the scenes unfolding since October 7th. Many of the protesters, violent protesters, hiding their identities, covering their faces. What are you going to do about that specifically on these local campuses?
Mayor Adams: I am a strong believer in mask bans. We were hoping that we would have a strong piece of legislation to come out of Albany to deal with this issue. The legislation, I don’t believe, goes far enough. We are going to be submitting a piece of legislation to the City Council to ask for a complete mask ban.
Not only are individuals using these masks to carry out crimes, but also when you see some of the protests in the street, many people are covering their faces. You saw it on the college campuses, people are covering their faces. It clearly emboldens individuals when they want to do something improper, when they’re able to conceal their identity. I don’t believe they should be able to do that.
We’re going to do everything possible to ensure that we can stop that here in the City of New York. And I believe you’re going to see a decrease in the number of interactions and encounters. When you expose the faces of people, they’re less willing to do something that is disrespectful, anti-semitic, and in some cases, criminal behavior.
Levin: No doubt about that. So is it your sense then that other cities would likely follow and also set up an office like the one you are establishing right now?
Mayor Adams: Well, we hope so. When you look at the fact that New York City has the largest population of Jewish residents outside of Israel, I like to say we’re the Tel Aviv of America. And clearly, what we do here has the ability of cascading throughout the entire country. And I’m hoping that the actions we’re taking, one, with the antisemitism, new office of antisemitism. Two, what we want to do around mask ban. And three, I believe there should be a zero tolerance for plea bargaining when someone carries out a hate crime like antisemitism.
Cities also must be proactive, and that is why we’re doing our Breaking Bread, Building Bonds, and we’re going to call on our young people to cross-pollinate ideas and come up with ways of how we deal with hatred in the city and zero in on antisemitism.
Levin: And finally, mayor, over and above the focus on New York, more broadly speaking, if you look across the country, are you confident that the United States is prioritizing efforts to combat antisemitism and other hate crimes? What is your sense right now?
Mayor Adams: No, I’m not comfortable that we are doing that. I believe, to the contrary, I believe we have been a little lax, particularly some of the things we’re seeing on social media and some of the rhetoric we’re seeing. I think social media must police itself. I believe our prosecutors across the country should take a very strong stance that if someone is attacked because of their religion, their way of life, their gender, I believe that, again, there should be a zero plea bargaining on that.
And then we need to look into our school system, all of our public schools in various parts of the country, but I think specifically we have to go on our college campuses, we have to stop the radicalization of our young people, not only to hate America, but to push some of the rhetoric of lifting up terrorist organizations.
Hamas is a terrorist organization. Not only are they harmful to the people of Israel, but they’re also harmful to the people of their own country, and we need to call it out the way it is. We should stop being rational and philosophical about it. I cannot be any clearer. Hamas must be destroyed and dismantled, and we need to be clear on that.
And I believe if we continue to allow the celebratory atmosphere of a terrorist organization, it’s only going to give way to more of the rhetoric that we have witnessed, and I think the country must embrace what New York City is doing.
Levin: Mayor Eric Adams in New York, thank you. As we say in this part of the world, good luck with your initiative and thank you for your time.
Mayor Adams: Thank you. Take care.
May 15, 2025 Manhattan, New York
Source: NYC.gov , Big New York news
