Herzog hails Eric Adams as ‘dear friend’ of Israel, Jews; NYC mayor at Western Wall: ‘I’m your brother’

President Isaac Herzog meets with outgoing New York City Mayor Eric Adams at the president’s residence in Jerusalem, thanking the politician for his support and voicing concern over the city’s future as far-left mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, a longtime anti-Israeli activist, prepares to take office.

“You are a dear, dear friend of Israel and the Jewish people,” Herzog tells Adams in a readout shared by the president’s office, recalling the mayor’s “historic visit” to Israel during the early days of the war with Hamas.

Herzog adds that Israel is concerned about New York following Mamdani’s victory in the mayoral elections in New York earlier this month. Adams, a vocal Israel advocate who has emphasized combating antisemitism, is on a visit to Israel near the end of his four-year term, which concludes at the end of 2025.

“As you know, we are worried about how things will look post the mayoral elections in New York,” Herzog says. A range of US Jewish leaders and organizations have voiced concern that Mamadani’s longtime opposition to Israel could fuel antisemitism in the city. Mamdani has pledged to combat antisemitism as mayor.

Adams responds to Herzog, saying in reference to the election results, “We want to clearly send the right message that 49% of New Yorkers made it clear that they don’t embrace the philosophy of anti-Israel. We still consider Israel as an ally and as a friend.”

“We’re not going to deny the fact that there’s an increase in antisemitism across the globe, and some of the words that are coming from New York is something that we’re not going to deny. And I think right now, we need clarity… and I’m going to provide that clarity to fight against hate wherever it shows its face,” he adds.

In Jerusalem, I stood before the Western Wall and prayed. With thousands of years of unbroken faith, this is a place of prayer for all nations.

"כי ביתי בית תפלה יקרא לכל העמים" pic.twitter.com/MtlRLTdLta

— Mayor Eric Adams (@NYCMayor) November 16, 2025

Yesterday, in a visit to the Western Wall in Jerusalem, the outgoing mayor also pledged his support for Israel, saying, “As I finish, I wanted to come back here to Israel and let you know that I served you as the mayor, but I want to continue to have the title that’s more important to me than anything: I’m your brother.”