Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel and New York City Mayor Eric Adams engaged in a sharp public dispute this week ahead of Netanyahu’s expected visit to the United Nations General Assembly in New York. The confrontation centers on allegations and accusations related to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, as well as the political rhetoric surrounding the violence.
On Tuesday, Prime Minister Netanyahu released a video accusing Mayor Adams—New York’s first Muslim mayor and a vocal advocate for Palestinian rights—of supporting Hamas and inciting violence against Jewish residents in the city. Netanyahu stated he was coming to the U.N. “to tell the truth about our heroic soldiers” and to counter what he described as falsehoods from the mayor.
Mayor Adams has repeatedly condemned Hamas as a terrorist group and called the attack it launched against Israel on October 7, 2023, a “horrific war crime.” In a recent interview aired by a major news outlet, Adams described Netanyahu as a “war criminal” and accused him of orchestrating “a horrific genocide of the Palestinian people.” Adams’s use of the term “genocide” to describe Israel’s military actions in Gaza has drawn both support and criticism. While the characterization is contested, a United Nations commission, along with various international and Israeli human rights organizations, have similarly stated that Israel’s conduct in Gaza may amount to genocide.
The mayor also repeated his previous calls for the federal government to arrest Netanyahu, highlighting an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) accusing the prime minister of war crimes. Netanyahu denies these allegations and has described Adams as a threat to Jewish New Yorkers. Although Adam’s office had initially pledged to arrest Netanyahu if he visited New York, the mayor later acknowledged that the city lacked legal authority to do so and shifted responsibility to federal agencies.
Since Adams took office in November amid rising tensions after the October 7 attacks, New York has experienced an increase in antisemitic hate crimes and large pro-Palestinian demonstrations. However, no riots targeting Jewish communities have been reported under his tenure. Community leaders have expressed concern over Adams’s rhetoric, prompting the mayor to convene a meeting with prominent rabbis who urged more measured public statements on Israel and related issues.
The dispute between Netanyahu and Adams unfolds amid Israel’s current electoral campaign, with Netanyahu facing criticism and legal challenges internationally. Adams, meanwhile, remains a prominent figure among progressives in New York, maintaining a complex political position balancing advocacy for Palestinian rights and criticism from some Jewish community members.
In addition to the conflict-related controversy, Adams recently met with former President Donald Trump at Gracie Mansion to discuss local policy issues including housing development and immigration. Despite ideological differences, Adams emphasized a mutual commitment to the city. He also expressed his belief that democratic socialist candidates’ successes in New York would have broader national implications, signaling his ongoing engagement with progressive political movements.