Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, near right, and Ambassador Ido Aharoni, Consul General of Israel in New York, far right, during a meeting with New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, left, at The Regency Hotel. Photo: Shahar Azran.

Security personnel sauntered about the Loews Regency hotel in Manhattan’s Upper East Side early Friday afternoon as New York City’s mayor Bill de Blasio and Israel’s foreign minister Avidgor Lieberman met for a late lunch.

“The two discussed the important role played by New York’s growing Jewish population in the city’s culture, workforce and government,” according to a statement from the Israeli consulate. “Mayor de Blasio also discussed his own long-standing relationship with Israel, his activities as a public official in support of the state, including his 2011 trip there, and underscored the unbreakable bond between the people of New York City and Israel.”

Lieberman’s visit to the U.S. began on Thursday evening and will include meetings with top Jewish leaders and U.S. officials including his counterpart Secretary of State John Kerry.