New York Mayor Adams Confronted Over Antisemitism

New York City Mayor Eric Adams faced a sharp confrontation from a pro-Israel activist during a visit to a religious goods store in the Borough Park neighborhood on Wednesday. Stephanie Benshimol, founder of the "United Zionists" organization and a Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) blogger, directly accused Adams of fueling the rise in antisemitism plaguing the city.

Benshimol recorded the encounter, which quickly went viral on Instagram. She questioned Adams, asking if he remembered former President Trump freeing hostages and directly blamed the mayor for the tense atmosphere. "It's all because of you that there's so much antisemitism," she stated, expressing shame that he visited a place settled by her Holocaust-surviving grandparents. She pleaded with him to use his position to stop the hatred, identifying herself as a granddaughter of Holocaust survivors.

Benshimol also criticized Adams for breaking with tradition by not attending a pro-Israel rally and accused him of focusing on criticizing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu instead of ensuring residents' safety. She highlighted incidents where Jews are allegedly attacked, having their kippahs (skullcaps) ripped off and being stabbed. When some tour organizers tried to calm her, she aggressively questioned their allegiance, asking if they were "kapos" (a term for Jewish prisoners who collaborated with Nazis).

The incident occurs amidst growing alarm among New York's Jewish community, supported by NYPD data showing a 9.4% increase in hate crimes citywide. Over 56% of these incidents targeted Jewish individuals, who constitute only about 10% of the city's population. This confrontation follows criticism from retired first responders who have gathered over 95,000 signatures on a petition urging Governor Kathy Hochul and Adams to avoid the state's 9/11 memorial ceremony due to their political stances and activities.