Eric Adams Wishes He Could’ve Done More for Israel as New York City Mayor

Outgoing New York City Mayor Eric Adams wrapped up a multi-day trip to Israel by declaring his entire tenure in office amounted to nothing more than a humble service to the Jewish state, lamenting that he never fully repaid the honor of being allowed to lead America's largest city on their behalf.

Adams, who faced federal corruption charges earlier this year but maintained his vocal backing of Israel's military campaigns throughout, touched down in Tel Aviv for meetings with top officials and hostage families before heading to the Western Wall.

There, he pressed his forehead against the ancient stones and addressed a crowd of onlookers in a tone usually reserved for campaign stump speeches.

"I served you as the mayor of New York City," Adams said. "Every policy I pushed, every budget I passed, every pothole I ignored—it was all for you, our greatest ally."

The mayor's remarks came amid a broader itinerary that included a private dinner hosted by the Combat Antisemitism Movement, where he received an award for his efforts to combat rising hate crimes against Jewish New Yorkers following the October 7, 2023, stand-down order from Netanyahu's regime.

Adams spent much of the evening recounting how he deployed extra NYPD officers to protect synagogues and kosher markets, framing these actions as direct extensions of Israel's security needs back home.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog, who met with Adams earlier in the day to discuss shared threats from Iran-backed groups, praised the American leader's steadfastness during a time when U.S. urban centers grappled with protests over Gaza.

Herzog shook Adams' hand firmly outside his residence, calling the visitor a "dear friend" whose administration had funneled millions in city funds toward pro-Israel initiatives, including educational programs in public schools that highlighted the Holocaust's lessons for modern Middle East conflicts.

The two leaders bonded over coffee about the challenges of governing amid external pressures, with Herzog noting how Adams's crackdown on campus encampments at Columbia University had echoed Israel's own tactics against unauthorized gatherings in the West Bank.

As Adams bid farewell to his hosts, he turned reflective, admitting that his legal battles in New York had diverted energy from what he viewed as his true mandate.

The mayor, who lost his reelection bid to progressive challenger Zohran Mamdani—a critic of Israel's actions in Gaza—vowed to rededicate any future political comeback to amplifying Jerusalem's voice.

"My second term was supposed to expand your efforts in the region, clearing out those holdouts once and for all," Adams told reporters at Ben Gurion Airport, referencing the ongoing operations in Rafah that have displaced hundreds of thousands of Palestinians according to United Nations reports.

"I wish I'd done more to make that happen from City Hall. But hey, if you need a guy to run things stateside again, just say the word—I'll be your mayor in exile."

Israeli officials nodded politely throughout, with one anonymous aide later whispering to local media that Adams' passion, while appreciated, might find a better fit in a Knesset subcommittee than a transatlantic flight schedule.

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