Eric Adams says NYC has ‘normalized antisemitism’ after Washington Post claim that business leaders influenced Columbia protest response

Aneeta Bhole
·2 min read
Police Commissioner Cuban joined NYC Mayor Eric Adams up on 125th St to discuss the latest in the city's fight against retail crime
Police Commissioner Cuban joined NYC Mayor Eric Adams up on 125th St to discuss the latest in the city's fight against retail crime

New York City has “normalized antisemitism,” Mayor Eric Adams said Tuesday as he was asked about a Washington Post story that implied pro-Israel business titans influenced his response to the Columbia University protests.

“We’ve normalized antisemitism in this city and others may be comfortable with that, [but] I’m not,” Hizzoner said firmly during his weekly press briefing at City Hall.

The Washington Post article, published Thursday, claimed that a WhatsApp chat filled with wealthy Americans who support Israel arranged a Zoom call with the Big Apple mayor to discuss pressuring Columbia leadership to let police “handle protestors.”

Eric Adams says NYC has “normalized antisemitism” as he was questioned about a Washington Post story that accused him of taking direction from business leaders on Columbia protests. Matthew McDermott
Eric Adams says NYC has “normalized antisemitism” as he was questioned about a Washington Post story that accused him of taking direction from business leaders on Columbia protests. Matthew McDermott

City Hall slammed the story on Friday, saying it implied “Jewish donors secretly plotted to influence government operations.”

When asked by a reporter Tuesday what part of the story was “antisemitic,” Adams argued it played into hateful tropes by intimating a “plot that Jewish leaders come together to circumvent the government.”

Adams noted that while the Washington Post did not mention the religion of the WhatsApp chat participants, it named several who are Jewish, including ex-Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz, Dell founder and CEO Michael Dell and hedge fund manager Bill Ackman.

“When you normalize antisemitism, you’re going to normalize anti-LGBTQAPI, African Americans, No, I have a zero tolerance,” he snapped back.

“We are not going to sit back and say it’s alright for there to be a protest in this city calling for the destruction of a group,” he fumed.

“People were saying during the protests, ‘kill Jews,’ Why is that alright? I’m just blown away that have we normalized antisemitism to the point that this is all right,” he said.

Columbia students first set up encampments on April 17 as police later stepped in to clear those at the request of the University’s president a day later — with more than 100 demonstrators arrested. William Miller
Columbia students first set up encampments on April 17 as police later stepped in to clear those at the request of the University’s president a day later — with more than 100 demonstrators arrested. William Miller

“Do you know what would have happened in his city if a college campus had a protest that said ‘kill blacks,’ that would not be tolerated in this city.”

Adams and his administration have stressed that the NYPD didn’t raid Columbia’s anti-Israel encampment until school leaders asked for help and allowed cops to enter the Morningside Heights campus.

Adams admitted Tuesday he thought “we should have went in sooner,” but reiterated that he didn’t send police in until after Columbia leadership gave the green light.

More than 100 demonstrators were arrested during the raid.