Outgoing New York City Mayor Eric Adams said on Sunday that Jewish New Yorkers should be worried about their safety and the prevalence of antisemitism in the city when Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani takes office in January.

“If I were a Jewish New Yorker, I would be concerned about my children,” he added. “When it comes down to the energy that is brewing, there’s a level of concern that I know I have. And we need to be honest about the moment, because people want to sugarcoat the moment.”

Mamdani, a far-left democratic socialist and anti-Zionist, is an avid supporter of boycotting all Israeli-tied entities who has been widely accused of promoting antisemitic rhetoric. He has repeatedly accused Israel of “apartheid” and “genocide;” refused to recognize the country’s right to exist as a Jewish state; and refused to explicitly condemn the phrase “globalize the intifada,” which has been associated with calls for violence against Jews and Israelis worldwide.

Mamdani was elected as the new mayor of New York City earlier this month, beating former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa. Adams, who was running for reelection as an independent, pulled out of the mayoral race in late September.

Leading members of the Jewish community in New York have expressed alarm about Mamdani’s victory, fearing what may come in a city already experiencing a surge in antisemitic hate crimes.

The Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM) hosted a special gathering on Sunday in Tel Aviv’s Dubnov Gallery to honor Adams’ strong support for Israel and the Jewish communities in New York over the past four years, particularly after the Hamas-led terrorist attacks in Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, and the global rise in antisemitism that followed. When it comes to confronting the rise in antisemitism, Adams was asked if he thinks anything has changed in New York over the last two years – following his famous “We Are Not Alright” speech in the aftermath of Hamas’s Oct. 7 atrocities.

“No, we’re not [alright],” Adams replied. “We’re far from being alright. We’re going in the wrong direction.”

The outgoing mayor said that antisemitism is becoming “cool and hip” among younger generations due in large part to social media indoctrination, and organized efforts to normalize and spread anti-Israel and anti-Jewish false narratives. He called on Jewish organizations and their allies to formulate and carry out a “well-executed business plan” to fight antisemitism. He also expressed concern that the incoming Mamdani administration will not push forward on efforts to unite the city.

“I knew part of the role [as mayor] was to heal the city and bring us together, and there’s more healing to do. And I’m not confident that this incoming administration understands that,” he explained. “A lot of the work that we’ve started on many areas, but particularly the area of healing and bringing our city together, I think we are going to lose some ground on that, and that sort of troubles me.”

Adams stressed that leaders must not stay silent about hatred, urging Mamdani to understand that “being a mayor is both substantive and symbolic. They both go together. Your words can translate into the actions of others. Even if you disagree, you must be a leader for everyone.”

“The symbolism … There are things that we do to send a symbol that one is welcome. And he has failed to do that,” Adams said. “You cannot be slow on defining that you do not embrace a ‘globalize the Intifada.’ The symbolism of being a leader is just as important as the substance. I think he must stand up and show that he can be a leader of the city with all of this diversity. Even if you don’t agree or disagree, you must be a leader for everyone in the city because your words actually can translate into the actions of others.”

In his opening remarks at Sunday’s event, CAM CEO Sacha Roytman highlighted Adams’ longtime commitment to combating antisemitism.

Adams created the first-of-its-kind mayor’s office dedicated to combating antisemitism; signed an executive order adopting the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism; established the city’s first Jewish Advisory Council; and launched the New York City-Israel Economic Council. He participated in CAM’s Mayors Summit Against Antisemitism in Athens, Greece, in 2022.

“You stood before leaders from across the globe and said that mayors must act and must not allow antisemitism to rise in their cities,” Roytman said.

“After Oct. 7, when antisemitism surged, you were out in the streets standing with us,” he continued, referring to Adams. “Your famous words — ‘We are not alright’ — still echo in our minds, because that is exactly how we feel when we see antisemitism rising and when we see who New York elected as its next mayor.”

“Your voice brings people together — Jews and Muslims, African Americans, and so many others,” Roytman added. “The friendship between Jews and the Black community is essential. Together, we can push back against hatred and build a better world.”

Reflecting on his tenure as mayor, Adams, who is Black, described it as “a relay” and talked again about Mamdani taking over in January.

“You run your mile and you hand a baton off, and my transition team, we’re going to do everything possible to hand off lessons learned, some of the things that we thought were great, and some of the things we could have done differently,” he said.

Adams also hinted that he might have a future connection to Israel. “I want to start speaking to the real estate agents here so I can find my place in Israel,” he concluded.