If you haven’t seen Mayor Eric Adams’ remarks at last week’s “New York Stands With Israel” rally, try to take a look: He was excellent.
“We” — the people of this city — “are not all right,” he announced.
Not “when we see young girls pulled from their home and dragged through the streets” and “grandmothers being pulled away from their homes and children shot in front of their families.”
And not “when right here in the city of New York you have those who celebrate at the same time when the devastation is taking place in our city.”
In the face of Hamas’ “destructive, despicable” actions, “we’re not going to say we have a stiff upper lip and act like everything is fine. Everything is not fine. Israel has a right to defend itself, and that’s the right that we know. Your fight is our fight.”
“Right here in New York we have the largest Jewish population outside of Israel. This is the place that our voices must raise and cascade throughout the entire country. We will not be all right until every person responsible for this act is held accountable.”
And: “Hamas must be disbanded and destroyed immediately.”
“Your fight is my fight,” he told the rally.
“That swastika not only displays the pain of antisemitism, it displays the pain of racism among African Americans. You marched with us with Dr. King. You stood with us with all the fights we have. And I’m saying we’re going to stand with you and stand united together. And we don’t have to be all right. We should be angry at what we saw. Thank you, Israel.”
Every New Yorker always has gripes about every mayor, but we’re grateful that we now have one who can rise so powerfully to so horrible a situation.