Transcript: Mayor Adams Hosts Interfaith Leaders to Denounce Antisemitic Murders of two Israeli Embassy Workers

May 22, 2025

Watch video here at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ulgFwi-5HJI

Deputy Mayor Fabien Levy, Communications: Good afternoon, my name is Fabien Levy and I'm the deputy mayor for Communications for the City of New York. I'm also the highest-ranking appointed Jewish official at City Hall, something that weighs heavily on days like today.  

Last night I was proud to be with Mayor Adams at two events as we mark Jewish Heritage Month, one at the Jewish Children's Museum and one with the Friends of the IDF, where he made clear that we're sick and tired of the Jew hate and the antisemitic crimes we are seeing across our city, across our nation, and across the globe. You're either on the side of hate or you're going to stand up against it. I know where Mayor Adams stands and where this diverse group of people stand.  

Sadly, just a few hours after that event in Washington, D.C. at another event marking Jewish Heritage, two young people who worked at the Israeli Embassy in Washington, D.C. were gunned down in an antisemitic crime as they attended an event at the American Jewish Committee. Yaron Lischinsky, an Israeli, and Sarah Lynn Milgram, an American, were in the prime of their lives when they were killed. I briefed the mayor on this terrible attack last night, and this morning on our 8 a.m. senior staff call, Mayor Adams immediately said, put together this event to show the diversity of faith and leadership standing up to antisemitism. So I'd like to now introduce Mayor Eric Adams. 

Mayor Eric Adams: Thank you so much, D.M. Levy. And after our call, actually before our call, Reverend Sharpton reached out to me and stated that we could not remain silent. I think about throughout the years that Reverend Sharpton and I have joined together to deal with any time hate has displayed its ugly head. And we cannot be hypocritical as a city, as a state, and as a country. Consistency and clarity is important.  

When you see an attack of this magnitude, as I stated to our military forces this morning at our Fleet Week celebration, the role of mayor is both substantive and is symbolism. It must be a substantive response, but it must be also, as you're seeing today, standing side by side, a symbolic response. We join here with not only senior members of my administration of Jewish faith, but also organizations who have consistently stood with us during the time of hatred displayed in our city.  

I want to thank them, and I want to really reinforce what Deputy Mayor Levy stated. Whose side are you on? It's a question that all of us must ask ourselves. To have Yaron and Sarah, two employees of the Israeli Embassy, to be assassinated in public view is something that will leave a scar not only on Jewish citizens of this city and country, but for all of us of goodwill. They were a beautiful couple attending a young Jewish professional event, and we lost them to a senseless act of despicable violence. This violence is exactly what they mean when you hear the words, globalize the intifada. It is the actual playing out of these comments.  

The violence is something that is unacceptable and not tolerated, and that is what we mean when we say antisemitic propaganda masquerades as activism. Let's call this what it is, a depraved act of terrorism. Thankfully, the NYPD has said that there is no known connection to New York, and the person responsible is not known to us. But in response, the NYPD is surging counterterrorism officers in critical response commands out of an overabundance of caution.  

In addition to deploying heavy weapons teams to Jewish cultural institutions and houses of worship, and enhancing coverage to Israeli diplomatic facilities, we also did this periodically after the attacks on October 7th. But let me be clear, we are doing this out of an overabundance of caution. The [commissioner] of Counter-Intelligence is monitoring any chatter, and the police commissioner will be sure to deploy the manpower that's needed to protect sensitive locations.  

In the last year and a half, we've watched the hate bleed out onto our streets, onto our college campuses, and now at our cultural events. People have glorified terrorist organizations, they have called for violence against Jews, they have called for death to America, to Israel, and to the people of Israel. Now, they've got what they came for. What did we think was going to happen with this constant display of hatred and antisemitism? You have never tolerated this on any groups, and that's why a close, close collaboration of groups are here today, to stand united together against violence and against hate.  

We've heard so many people claim these protests aren't antisemitic, they're just anti-Israel. We cannot color-code hatred. Today is proof of what I've been saying the whole time. It one and the same and they must stop. I've been speaking out against this hate from day one. Not only in the area of antisemitism, but hatred altogether. This city has no room for hate, and this country cannot have room for hate. Where do we draw the line, and when do we draw the line?  

So we're not alright. I said that on October 8th, and I will say it again. As mayor of the largest Jewish community outside of Israel, this isn't a philosophical discussion for me. It's a level of clarity that we must all express. The Jewish community feels, believes, and are under attack when you look at the numbers. It can't be 10 percent of the city and have over 60 percent of the hate crimes.  

We will not be silent because we cannot be silent and watch our brothers and sisters of any group in general, specifically our Jewish brothers and sisters, under attack in our country. We must call this hate wherever we see it, without fear, without determination. That is how we turn the tide, by not being silent and making sure we have the proper law enforcement procedures that are in place.  

The people of Israel and the people of the United States are resilient. We share an unbreakable bond because of that. May the memories of the victims be a blessing, and I'm praying for their families and their loved ones. My mother used to say, a dark place is not a burial, it's a planting. Let's use this opportunity to build on safety, tolerance, and peace.  

Let this moment, where we sow seeds of peace in our city, in our country, around the globe. Let this show the world the true evils of antisemitism. Make sure it never happens again. And again, I want to thank Reverend Sharpton. Early this morning, probably the first thing that was on his mind was to state that we cannot remain silent on this issue. For reaching out early this morning and bringing together these leaders who you see behind me and beside me. I'm going to now turn it over to Reverend Sharpton. 

Reverend Al Sharpton: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I called the mayor and called Rabbi Potasnik early this morning, as soon as I heard about what had happened because it is very important that we understand that this is not just a problem for one community. It's a problem for all of us if we don't stand together when any one of us is attacked.  

When we faced a case here in New York many years ago with Eric Garner in Staten Island, Rabbi Potasnik and many of the Jewish leadership, Mr. Miller and others, stood with us. They should not have had to wait and hope that some of us would stand with them when this ugly, despicable act happened. We may not agree on politics, but we must agree that we will not let hate and violence take anyone.  

If this had happened at an affair at the Schomburg Library and it was two young blacks, I would have expected to see Jewish leadership stand with us. It happened at the site of the Museum for Jewish in Washington. Two people, innocent people, lost their lives. They should expect that we'll be here.  

The fact is you cannot be a civil rights activist or leader if you're only for your own civil rights. You cannot be a faith leader if you only stand up for people in your own faith. So I would hope that people that see us stand together know we not only stand together for a press conference, we will defend each other's places of worship, education, and each other's right to peaceful protest, whatever we want.  

But you give people that peacefully protest a bad name when you turn naked, raw, hate, vigilantism and try to cover it that you're standing for a cause other than your own erosion of morality and a sustained sense of we all have the right to disagree without being disagreeable. So I thank the faith leaders for coming. I thank the mayor for responding. I thank Rabbi Potasnik for helping us come together.  

All of us know there'll be people in our communities that will not understand why we're together. That's why we're together because we need to make people understand that until we all understand why we're together, we're going to keep having tragedies and we cannot have it wait to come to our doors. That's why your mayors are here. Islamophobia is wrong. Homophobia is wrong. And yes, antisemitism, even well-polished, is wrong and must be condemned. Thank you. 

Deputy Mayor Levy: Thank you, reverend. I just want to thank everyone who's here behind us. Unfortunately, there's so many folks here that we would be here all day if I were to name them all. So I just want to say thank you very much to the folks here at the center for having us, specifically Rio Daniel, the CEO, and Dr. Gavriel Rosenfeld, the president of the Center for Jewish History, as well as the entire team here for hosting us for the work that you do every day to preserve and share Jewish history. Next, I want to introduce Ariella Rada. She's from the Israeli Consulate General of Israel here in New York.  

Ariella Rada, Spokesperson and Consul, Media Affairs, Consulate General of Israel: Good morning. We are heartbroken and horrified from this horrific, horrific act of antisemitism that occurred on U.S. soil. This is something that we did not believe we would ever see. And this is, have no mistake, this is the result of unprecedented incitement that is being held and pushed by terrorists, that their main goal is the destruction, not only of the Jewish state, but also the Jewish people.  

When we are seeing people chanting in the streets of New York, in U.S. campuses, and are calling for intifada, globalizing the intifada, and are chanting and calling for the murder of Jews wherever they are, this is not just a problem of Israel or the Jewish people. This is a global problem of violent people who are trying to destroy the Western world.  

Yaron and Sarah were part of our embassy in Washington. They were brilliant, they were young, and they were planning to go to Israel and get engaged. Their death is senseless. And this is the time to call everybody to stand up against antisemitism, against hate. This is the time to speak out and speak loud and condemn all those violent acts that we're seeing against Jews, not only here in New York, but all over the world.  

When you see this horrific incitement that is trying to portray Jews and Israelis as the worst thing, as the devil, and as other terms that are being used without any understanding of the conflict, without any understanding of what happened to Israel and the Jewish people on October 7th. The horrific act that claimed the life of 1,200 Israelis, the terrorists that came with hate in their eyes, aiming to murder children, women, elderly. The hate that we saw that they had and they executed, this is something that people here are choosing to forget, are choosing to dismiss.  

Well, let me tell you, this is the result of those that are chanting intifada, intifada, and those that are trying to portray Israel as if we're just fighting a fight that we enjoy, which is not the truth at all. And this is the time for everybody to stand and speak against those acts of antisemitism and, of course, hate.  

Thank you so much, mayor, for standing with the Jewish people, for standing with Israel. This is something that we appreciate and don't take for granted. And I call everybody to please speak up, that this is the time. This is the result of people staying silent. May Sarah and Yaron’s memory be of a blessing. We send our condolences to their families and pray for better days. Thank you. 

Deputy Mayor Levy: Thank you, Ariella. Next, we'll hear from Hindy Poupko from the UJA-Federation here in New York. 

Hindy Poupko, Senior Vice President, UJA-Federation: Good afternoon, and thank you, mayor, for your leadership, and thank you, Rev. Sharpton, for gathering us today. We gather here this afternoon in the aftermath of the shocking and vile murder of two young people in love, Yaron and Sarah. Shocking, but sadly not surprising.  

As the mayor said, after 19 months of violence and hateful rhetoric directed at Jews and the State of Israel, violence was inevitable. Our heart breaks for them, their lives lost, their futures lost, and our hearts break for their families. But in our grief, we know that we are not alone. The mayor stands with us today and has always stood with us.  

You were right there with us right after October 7th, and you have stayed with us while many others have left. And under the leadership of Police Commissioner Tisch, we know that the New York Police Department has our back and will continue to protect us. But let us also be clear about one thing.  

While Jews everywhere are facing an onslaught of hate, Jewish life will continue. In Washington, in New York, and wherever Jews gather, we remain resolute in our commitment to living our lives as proud Jews. And it is our mayor who continues to give us the courage and resoluteness to do just that. Thank you. 

Deputy Mayor Levy: Thank you very much, Hindy. Next we'll hear from Mohammad Razvi, the CEO of the Council of People's Organization. 

Mohammad Razvi, CEO and Founder, Council of People's Organization: Good morning. My name is Mohammad Razvi, and I represent Council of People's Organization, one of the largest Muslim organizations in Brooklyn. And we service with almost 70 Muslim groups. We stand here together. Thank you, Reverend Sharpton, Mr. Mayor, Commissioner Tisch, coming forward.  

Most important thing is we are standing together and we are going to repeat all the time that we are going to be always united against hate. In the Quran, it's written that if you take one innocent life, it's as if you have taken the life of all mankind. This is true to all Muslims. And this heinous act has really hurt so much, just the fact that how could you?  

Just hurt these two folks who were about to, if I understand correctly, about to get married. And just the fact that they were just so innocent lives just taken away. We stand together. We give the most condolences to the families.  

But more importantly, we are grateful that communities come together. Whether it's with JCRC, UJA, and the Muslim communities and all these interfaiths that are coming together repeatedly. And under Mayor Eric Adams, we have been coming together all the time. Hate is something that is perpetuated [and] taught.  

A child is not born to hate. That's something you pick up at a dinner table. You hear something, someone making a remark. And [the] same thing as Poupko is saying, and others are saying, that it's the rhetoric that's causing this fuel of hate.  

And someone coming and doing such a heinous act. We just pray for the families. And more importantly, let's stay together. And any time this happens, we have to stand together. And we have to show others, this is what New York is about. This is what humanity is about. Thank you. 

Deputy Mayor Levy: Thank you very much, Mohammad. Next we'll hear from Reverend A.R. Bernard from the Christian Cultural Center. 

Reverend A.R. Bernard, CEO and Pastor, Christian Cultural Center: Good morning. You know, when Rabbi Potasnik called me this morning, I had one question for him. What are we going to do? We. Because that's who it's going to take. We. Us coming together.  

We are heartbroken and outraged by the tragic and senseless killing of these two individuals who were in the beginning of life, their future. We extend our deepest condolences, of course, to the victim's family, loved ones, and the entire Jewish community.  

There is no justification for this kind of violence. None. Acts of hate, regardless of the political or religious context in which they are cloaked, must be unequivocally condemned. Protests must never become terror. We stand in full solidarity with our Jewish friends and neighbors because an attack on one member of our community is an attack on all of us.  

In moments like these, we must reaffirm our shared values, our dignity, peace, and respect for human life. We urge our communities to resist the pull of hatred and instead pursue justice through peaceful, lawful means.  

Let us continue to work together, unafraid of who may judge our unity, unafraid of who may judge our friendships. Because those that judge should be joining us and not remaining silent or critical of what needs to be done.  

Let me say, Mayor Adams has stood with the Jewish community. I've seen it and participated in it, and we will continue to stand with the Jewish community. Thank you and God bless you. 

Deputy Mayor Levy: Thank you very much, reverend. Finally, we'll hear from Rabbi Joseph Potasnik from the New York Board of Rabbis. 

Rabbi Joseph Potasnik, New York Board of Rabbis: Thank you. When I walked into the center this morning, there were young people here to look at the exhibit of Anne Frank. Anne Frank was a young woman consumed with love, whose life was consumed by hate.  

We're remembering two people whose lives were consumed by love, and their lives were taken by hate. I want to thank the non-Jewish individuals who called this morning, Reverend Sharpton, Detective Amen, Father Muldoon, Cardinal Dolan, so many others, who reminded me that antisemitism is anti-Christianity, is anti-Islam.  

We say in our tradition that life and death are in the hands of the tongue. And what we have found over the years is that what may start in the mouth of the tongue descends to the heart and ultimately to the hands.  

When Jews are slaughtered in a sanctuary in Pittsburgh, we are not safe. When a young Jewish yeshiva kid is killed on the Brooklyn Bridge, we are not safe. When students at a college right near here have to hide in a library during an anti-Israel demonstration, we are not safe.  

So, to those young people downstairs, we should make sure they see all of us standing together. We do teach them that one and one equals two, but we also have to teach them that one and one equals one. That all of us, regardless of our faith, traditions, are many, but we are one. Thank you very much. 

Deputy Mayor Levy: Thank you, rabbi. I apologize, we also have Josh Kramer from the AJC. AJC is exactly where the horrendous attack last night happened in Washington, D.C. 

Josh Kramer, Director, American Jewish Committee: Thank you, and thank you to the mayor and to Reverend Sharpton for convening this group. The grief that we feel is reaching all around the world right now. Our worst fears have been realized. Jewish communities from D.C. to Tel Aviv to Paris and here in New York are mourning this devastating murder outside the AJC Young Diplomats Reception at the Capitol Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C.  

I have additional details I can share about last night's incident at the Young Diplomats Reception. But it can't go without saying that all people of good conscience join together as represented here in this group standing shoulder to shoulder in mourning together with the Jewish community. Thank you all for standing up for what is right.  

Last night's event was organized by AJC Access, our Young Professional Division, which empowers Jewish leaders to advocate on behalf of critical domestic global issues facing the Jewish community. And this annual event brings together young professionals and the diplomatic community.  

This year's theme was turning pain into purpose, which takes on a whole new meaning the next day after what ultimately happened. Attendees heard from members of the Multi-Faith Alliance and from Israel on humanitarian diplomacy and how a coalition of organizations from the region and for the region are working together in response to humanitarian crises throughout the Middle East and North Africa.  

Sarah Milgram was a member of the Department of Public Diplomacy at the Embassy of Israel and a member of AJC Access. She was close with many in the AJC New York community and AJC community all around the world. She was committed to peace building. She received her master's from the University of Peace in 2022, passionate about sustainability and people-to-people relations.  

She previously worked for Tech2Peace, an organization that brings together young Israelis and Palestinians for intensive seminars, which focus both on peacemaking and tech training. She was a cherished member of the second cohort of the AJC Mimouna Sachs Fellowship for Emerging Leaders, where she joined American, Israeli, French, and Moroccan leaders focused on advancing relations in the Middle East and North Africa region through agriculture, tourism, and civil society.  

Sarah will be remembered as being warm, compassionate, a wonderful listener, and a devoted partner. Yaron Lischinsky was a member of the political department at the Embassy of Israel and focused on Middle East issues. He was also a friend, reserved, but always had a smile on his face. He was a welcoming presence.  

He attended numerous AJC events throughout his time in Washington, and at last night's event he shared how excited he was to be going back home to spend Shavuot with his family in Israel. It was also reported that he had recently purchased an engagement ring that he planned to give to Sarah when they travel to Israel in the coming days.  

Everyone needs to understand that this is what globalized the Intifada looks like. We cannot separate the violence from the dangerous rhetoric that fuels hate and conspiracies against Jews. What happened to this young couple leaving a Jewish event last night was antisemitism, full stop. Thank you again. 

Deputy Mayor Levy: Thank you very much. Again, may Sarah and Yaron's memories be a blessing. Thank you for coming. 

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