From the Liveblog of
Monday, May 23, 2022
Absorption minister meets with New York City mayor
Luke Tress is a JTA reporter and a former editor and reporter in New York for The Times of Israel.
Israel’s Minister of Immigration and Absorption Pnina Tamano-Shata meets with New York City Mayor Eric Adams in New York’s city hall.
The pair discusses strengthening connections between Israel and New York and combating antisemitism. Reported antisemitic incidents are at an all-time high in New York.
Tamano-Shata says she “thanked Adams for standing by New York alongside Israel during these challenging times.”
“He sees great importance in connecting with the Jewish communities in his city for increased security in their districts,” she says. Adams is a centrist Democrat and is strongly supportive of New York’s Jewish communities.
Tamano-Shata is in New York for the city’s Celebrate Israel parade, the largest expression of solidarity outside with Israel outside its borders. Sunday’s parade drew 40,000 marchers from hundreds of groups.
Adams marched in the parade next to Israel’s consul to New York Asaf Zamir. Other top New York and Israeli officials, including Defense Minister Benny Gantz, also attended.
Tamano-Shata wrote in an op-ed for The Times of Israel that she was “proud to fly the Israeli flag in the heart of Manhattan.”
“With Israel being challenged by a spike in terrorism that requires the security forces to be on high alert, the people dwelling in Zion need to know that support for the Jewish state extends far beyond its borders,” she said.
