In an exclusive interview with The Washington Post, Israel’s new consul general warned that New York, like many European cities, is at risk of falling into a “radical Islamist occupation.”
“Do you know what’s been happening in London recently? Do you know what’s been happening in Paris recently? Do you know what’s been happening in Malmö, a major city in Sweden,” Ofir Akunis said. “They’re under occupation by radical Islamists.”
“There are no-go zones and we don’t want that to happen in New York or anywhere else in the United States,” Akunis warned. “They burned the American flag here, in front of the hospital doors. [Manhattan] Consulate.
“I call on the people of New York: Wake up before it’s too late!”
A poll conducted shortly after October 7th found that 57% of American Muslims believed Hamas’ attacks on Israel were “justified.”
Akunis took up his post as war consul general in May, succeeding Assaf Zamir.
The former consul is the granddaughter of businesswoman Steph Wertheimer and is married to the glamorous billionaire Maya Wertheimer.
Zamir resigned and was subsequently fired by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in March 2023, leaving the consulate without a full-time leader since then.
Akunis took the reins as a major American university was plunged into chaos by pro-Hamas protests and has had a packed schedule ever since, still living out of a suitcase in a nearby hotel.
Above his desk hangs a huge photograph of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and nearby is a photo of his 20-year-old son, who serves in the Israeli Navy.
“Your September 11th is our October 7th. That’s radical Islam,” he warned.
Akunis said the anti-Semitism he has seen in New York City is the worst since Jews began arriving in large numbers in the United States in the late 19th century.
“My late grandmother was born in Poland 100 years ago. [told me] “What happened in Europe in the 1930s. I never thought it would happen to a young person here.”
The new Consul praised Mayor Adams as a “courageous leader” and specifically praised the support of Governor Hockal, Congressman Tom Suozzi and Congressman Ritchie Torres.
He had less kind words to say about the city’s Jewish elected officials, particularly Senate Majority Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer, who has called for regime change in Israel.
“The biggest problem with his speech is that he said the Israeli prime minister is an obstacle to peace. I think that’s a big mistake,” Akunis said. “Even when I disagree with the Israeli prime minister, I never said they were an obstacle to peace.”
Akunis said he supports a growing number of New York state leaders calling for the state to reinstate a ban on mask-wearing protests that was lifted during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The law on masks needs to be changed. It is wrong for people who only use masks to hide to use them to shout ‘Death to Israel’ and ‘Death to America’,” Akunis said.
He declined to comment on the presidential election but acknowledged he was “watching it closely.”
Relations between Israel and the United States have been tense for months as President Biden seeks to maintain a coalition that includes young people who support Hamas and Muslim Americans in battleground states like Michigan.
“It’s no secret that we have our differences from time to time,” Akunis said. “I appreciate America’s support for Israel.”
