Israeli President Herzog calls antisemitism a 'contamination of societies' as hate crimes surge
Israeli President Isaac Herzog issued a stern warning about the global spread of antisemitism in an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital at his Jerusalem residence."Antisemitism is an age-old plague which should be dealt with by everybody, by all societies.It's not an Israeli issue or only a Jewish issue," he said."It's a contamination of societies that starts with the Jew — never ends with them.
It's the most dangerous phenomena that has to be dealt with aggressively, with no mercy, with full adjudication, and most importantly, with education," he added.EXCLUSIVE: ISRAELI PRESIDENT HERZOG BLASTS MAMDANI, PRAISES TRUMP, SOUNDS ALARM ON IRANPresident Isaac Herzog of IsraelMayor Mamdani, Israel's relationship with the U.S.in an interview with Fox News Digital in Jerusalem, Israel. (Yoav Dudkevitch/TPS-IL for Fox News Digital)Herzog's warning comes as newly released New York City Police Department (NYPD) data show anti-Jewish incidents accounted for 56.9% of all confirmed hate crimes since the start of 2026, even though Jewish New Yorkers make up only about 10% of the city's population.Herzog pointed to New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, whom he accused of spreading hate and compromising the lives of New Yorkers."Mamdani does not respect my nation's right for self-determination — the Jewish people's inherent right to have a nation of their own.
And he's basically spreading blasphemy, hate, antisemitic rhetoric.He should understand that he's risking his own citizens, he’s risking their safety, well-being and life," Herzog told Fox News Digital.In a video posted on social media on July 21, Mamdani called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "a war criminal" and "the architect of a horrific genocide against the Palestinian people."Days later, Raul Morales, 51, allegedly yelled "Allahu Akbar" while stabbing two men on Manhattan's Upper West Side, including one who was visibly identifiable as Jewish.SUSPECT ARRESTED AFTER ALLEGEDLY YELLING ‘ALLAHU AK...