NYC Mayor: Ivy League schools turning into ‘beacons’ of Jew-hatred

Mayor Eric Adams says “allies” need to stand up for Jews and fight antisemitism, including on college campuses.

By World Israel News Staff

New York City Mayor Eric Adams took aim at elite American universities on Tuesday, lamenting the rising in anti-Jewish and anti-American radicalism on campuses across the country.

Adams spoke out at an event hosted by the Israeli-American Council’s (IAC) New York and New Jersey chapter, during which he was awarded with the Friend of Israel and the Jewish People Award.

Presenting Adams with the award, IAC New York Council member Isaac Hera 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.”

At the event, 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 of Israel.

“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 you 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,” at the Rainbow Room at Manhattan’s Rockefeller Center was IAC CEO Elan Carr, former US Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism; former hostage in Gaza Eliyah Cohen; Australian journalist Erin Molan; IAC National Co-Chair Tal Shuster; and IAC National Board Members Miri Shepher and Jackie Teplitzky.

Following the gala, Adams wrote on X that he was “not a new friend, but a true friend” of the Jewish community.