Adams Sends NYC Delegation to Israel on Biden Trip

By Reuvain Borchardt

R-L: Rabbi Michael Miller, CEO Emeritus of the Jewish Community Relations Council; Tim Pearson, senior advisor to the New York City deputy mayor for public safety; Joel Eisdorfer, senior advisor to Mayor Eric Adams; Frank Carone, chief of staff to Adams; Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Lion; Asaf Zamir, Consul General of Israel in New York; Ed Mermelstein, New York City commissioner for international affairs; NYPD Inspector Richie Taylor; and an NYPD detective assigned to security for the trip.

NEW YORK — While U.S. President Joe Biden was in Israel last week to strengthen ties between the two nations, a delegation of New York City officials was also visiting the Holy Land, to learn from “Start Up Nation” innovators and seek to attract businesses to a Big Apple still recovering from the COVID shutdown.

The goals of the New York delegation were to sell the city as a business center and attractive location for Israeli companies to build headquarters or satellite offices and to learn from Israeli innovations, Frank Carone, chief of staff to mayor Eric Adams, told Hamodia in an interview Sunday. And considering the large Jewish population in New York City, Carone says there was an “added benefit” of “showing the respect of the city and administration” for the leaders of the Jewish state.

Tweet by Israeli Tourism Minister Yoel Ravozov

“First and foremost, the purpose [of the trip was] to set New York back on the world stage as a capital of the world because of our diversity, our culture, our innovation – and quite frankly, all the beauty that New York has to offer,” Carone said. “We firmly believe that New York has to get back to that position where it once was, and should be, and even go beyond that as a global leader.”

Carone noted he was “particularly motivated and impressed by learning from the Bloomberg administration, particularly Dan Doctoroff, who after 9/11 did the same thing for New York,” as then-Deputy Mayor for Economic Development and Rebuilding.

Carone said that Adams himself was invited by Biden to join him on the Israel trip, an invitation Adams declined so that he could remain in New York and “focus on things he’s doing for public safety and education in the city,” while sending a delegation to represent the city instead.

New York City has struggled economically and from high crime rates since early in the pandemic, and Adams is also in a battle with the City Council over funding cuts for public schools.

In addition to Carone, the delegation included Joel Eisdorfer, senior advisor to Adams; Ed Mermelstein, the city’s commissioner for international affairs; Tim Pearson, senior advisor to the deputy mayor for public safety; and Police Inspector Richie Taylor, the NYPD’s highest-ranked yarmulke-wearing officer.

Over the course of four days, the delegation participated in business, security, and cultural activities, including visiting with the mayors of Jerusalem and Tel Aviv and those cities’ security control rooms; having a rooftop dinner at Machane Yehuda market with the chairman of the Market Merchants Committee; touring the Weizmann Institute of Science, visiting a company that helps children with learning disabilities; visiting Google Tel Aviv; meeting the Israeli Tourism Minister; and attending a ceremony at Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s residence, at which Biden was awarded the Presidential Medal of Honor.

Carone said one of his highlights in the packed four-day schedule included meeting Tel Aviv mayor Ron Huldai and his administration.

“We always hope for the best, we trust our law enforcement, but we have to be prepared for the worst,” said Carone. “We learned about new security technologies that are coming in Tel Aviv, how they’re dealing with climate change, how they’re utilizing cameras and AI technology, but at the same time, respecting the privacy of their citizens. So that was a very compelling couple of hours.”

Carone said he was also intrigued by the Kitchen Hub Food Tech in Ashdod, a hub for food innovation companies, one of which is creating a burger “to look, taste, smell, and have the texture of hamburger meat — but it’s made with mushroom root. Very fascinating.”

This has been Carone’s third international trip for the Adams administration, following earlier visits to Sweden and Korea.

He visited Israel once before, prior to joining the Adams administration.

“I love the country; It’s a place [where] I could be comfortable living. I love Tel Aviv, particularly, the diversity, the open society. It’s just wonderful people,” he says. “The Entrepreneurial spirit is embraced …  throughout Israel, but particularly in Tel Aviv.”

NYPD Inspector Taylor told Hamodia following the trip that he particularly enjoyed a meeting with Israeli Police Commissioner Kobi Shabtai and other security officials, “where we learned about the cutting-edge technology used by Israeli security forces, to protect a nation constantly under threat from terrorists.”

“With Israel proudly known as Start Up Nation, and New York City being a tech and innovation hub and having the largest Jewish population outside Israel, it’s natural for these two great places to strengthen ties,” Taylor says. “As the Adams administration continues to send representatives to meet with leaders and innovators and attract businesses from around the world, the New York City economy will continue to recover from COVID and flourish as a leading business center, and continue its march toward a safe and prosperous city for all.”

The Adams administration’s embrace of Israel comes as the Jewish state is battling a Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement that has support from some of the far-left members of his Democratic Party.

Asked about the BDS movement, Carone responds, “I don’t pay any attention to the BDS movement. I think it’s misplaced, abhorrent and I don’t think there’s any place for that in our city and our country.”

rborchardt@hamodia.com

Inside the Police Command Center in Jerusalem.
In front of the Police Command Center in Jerusalem.
Tel Aviv Emergency Command Operations Center
Viewing a model of Jerusalem at City Hall.
Jerusalem mayor Moshe Lion (R) meeting the New York delegation.
With Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai (C).
With defense Minister Benny Gantz (3rd R) at the Israeli President’s Residence
Eisdorfer (L) watches as U.S. President Biden and Israeli President Herzog walk down the red carpet at an event at the Israeli President’s Residence.

Inspector Taylor (2nd R) speaking with an Israeli police commander assigned to the King David Hotel, where President Biden stayed while in Israel.
Inspector Taylor (R) with Police Commissioner Kobi Shabtai

L-R: Pearson, Eisdorfer, and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken

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