Joel Leyden
Israel News Agency / Jewish News Agency
Jerusalem, Israel — August 22, 2013 … Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met today with New York City Mayor Eric Adams at the Prime Minister’s Office in Jerusalem.
The leaders discussed the unlimited possibilities for cooperation between New York City and the State of Israel in technology, innovation and tourism.
As Mayor Adams expressed his appreciation and love for the State of Israel, Prime Minister Netanyahu responded: “You’re a great friend of Israel. You live in a city which is the intellectual, cultural, financial hub of the world – and we’re sort of another hub. And I know if you combine the hubs together we will be respected as never before.”
Following the meeting, Prime Minister Netanyahu and Mayor Adams viewed a food and innovation FoodTech exhibition devoted to alternative proteins.
Israel is among the leading countries in alternative proteins and second, only to the US, in private investment in this field; therefore, the two countries have much in common.
Netanyahu and Adams were presented with innovative food technologies by Israeli start-ups in order to promote productive bilateral cooperation in the field. The Prime Minister and the Mayor tried various food products including cultured steak, cultured honey and vegetarian kebabs and hamburgers.
Mayor Adams was accompanied by the Deputy Mayor, his senior adviser, the Deputy Police Commissioner and additional officials. Participating for the Israeli side were the Prime Minister’s Chief of Staff, the Prime Minister’s Office Director General, the Director of the National Economic Council and additional officials.
Mayor Adams kicked off his three-day trip to Israel on Monday, meeting with interfaith leaders in Jerusalem to discuss antisemitism and tolerance.
The mayor, a self-professed man of faith, told Jewish, Muslim, Christian and Druze leaders welcoming him to the city that rising global tensions demand that people convert their religious principles into actions.
“We are now at a moment that I believe we have to transcend our desire and our faith to move from being worshipers to practitioners,” he said. “What we learn in our churches, synagogues and mosques cannot remain in the sterilized environment of our places of faith,” the mayor continued.