I don’t know a single New Yorker who was excited about the New York City mayoral race, which has effectively played out like some massive satirical performance. Former NYPD captain Eric Adams is currently in the lead for the Democratic nomination. He’s visited occupied Palestine twice. Back in 2016 when he was Brooklyn Borough President, he traveled to the country with a delegation that included former and current New York police officials. The trip included a stop at the IDF’s base in the (illegally occupied) Golan Heights and a counterterrorism briefing with the Israeli National Security Council.
“The State of Israel will find no better friend than the borough of Brooklyn, and strengthening our partnership is vital to advancing that friendship in the name of mutual benefit for our communities,” he declared at the time.
While Israel pummeled Gaza last month Adams tweeted, “Today on Yom Yerushalayim, Israel came under attack from Hamas-fired rockets in Gaza. Israelis live under the constant threat of terrorism and war and New York City’s bond with Israel remains unbreakable. I stand shoulder to shoulder with the people Israel at this time of crisis.”
There are a number of Palestinians living in Brooklyn, but I digress. Adams is certainly right about the bond. Last fall Sheikh Jarrah resident Mohammed al-Kurd referred to the people stealing his family home as “squatters with Brooklyn accents.”
In an interview with the Jewish publication Mishpacha shortly before the election, Adams brought his pro-Israel record to comical heights by insisting he was going to settle down in the country when his political career ended. “I’ve visited Israel twice,” he explained. “I am going back again, and I am going to try to find a plot of land so it can be my retirement place. I love the people of Israel, the food, the culture, the dance, everything about Israel.”
His trip to the IDF base must have made an impression because when was asked where in Israel he’d like to retire, he said the Golan Heights.
It’s worth pointing out that the Biden administration has stopped short of endorsing Trump’s recognition of the Golan Heights as part of Israel. This means Adams is to the right of a hawkish administration when it comes to this issue.
If Adams holds on to win he will join the vast majority of Democrats who support Israel despite a turning tide among the people who vote for them. This week there was another poll showing that support for Israel is dropping among the electorate. This one comes from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. 51% of Democratic voters say the United States should be more supportive of Palestinians. Among Democrats who view themselves as liberals, that number goes up to 62%
In fact, Joe Biden’s policy in the region finds more support from conservatives and moderates than it does from liberal Democratic voters. 31% of the former disapprove of the administration on Israel. For the latter the number is 42%.
These results echo a number of recent polls, including one from Data for Progress that I mentioned recently. That one found that a majority of Democratic voters support Rep. Betty McCollum’s recent legislative effort to hold Israel somewhat accountable for its actions. Obviously these sentiments are not shared by Democrats in congress. The House bill has just 27 cosponsors and currently lacks companion legislation in the Senate.
Speaking of Democrats in Israel, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Gregory Meeks (D-NY) is leading a delegation to the country. “We have a lot of members who want to go, so that’s not an issue,” he told Jewish Insider.
Where’s the Democratic administration at? They paused their talks with Iran this week to get opinions from the new Israeli government. Quick reminder: Israel bombed Iran in an effort to kill these talks!
I have never seen such shameful kissing of zionist behind from an ambitious man. Maybe he should go and live with the illegal settlers and he will find out soon that they do not consider a black man their equal. He should perhaps talk to the African Jews, and get first hand information. When a man prostrates himself in front of a brutal occupier this way to win elections, he has lost self respect, credibility, and shows just how disingenuous he really is. I guess he won over the Jewish Americans in New York.
Jesus! I can no longer even tell where these NYC politicians’ Zionist sycophancy ends and where their rhetorical schtick begins anymore.
There’s no way on god’s green Earth this schmuck is going to retire to the occupied Golan Heights, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, or friggin’ Beit El, but he sure is laying it on thick for the Zionist high rollers in New York! I’m surprised he can even draw breath with his head so far up their collective rear ends.
Also, any candidate for mayor of NYC, or even Buttf&$*k Nebraska for that matter, that seems to care THAT much about another country, one they were almost certainly comped to visit twice, and now openly plans to “retire” to said country, is not only easily bought for bargain basement price, but is probably not looking out for the best interests, or gives a rat’s ass for the very city they are looking to be mayor of.
Adams is 61 this year. If he loves Israel and the Occupied Golan Heights sooooo much maybe he should do us all a favor and retire now, piss off, and run for mayor of Buq’ata.
“I stand shoulder to shoulder with the people Israel at this time of crisis.”
No, he’s in New York, running for mayor. A safe distance from Israel.
I hope he does retire to the Golan Heights. If he indeed does (I suspect he won’t and that he is just ingratiating himself to the lobby for campaign money), I’d love to see how well a black man from New York is assimilated into the Mishpacha of Zionist zealots that populate settlements like the ones in the Golan Heights.
Eric Adams’ wish to retire in the Golan Heights might make him win the race for mayor of New York, when he retires in the Golan Heights, he will meet people that don’t like him because he is Black.
I wonder where in the Occupied Territories Andrew Yang wants to retire.