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Volume XX • Number 13 • March 28 - April 3, 2013 •
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Engel accompanies Obama on Israeli trip By Congressman ELIOT L. ENGEL Last week, I was honored to join President Barack Obama on his historic trip to Israel. I flew with him on Air Force One to deliver a message to our friends and allies there. That message was simple but important – Americans and Israelis stand together, united in bonds of friendship, and ready to defend each other from any foe. As your Representative in Congress, it was most meaningful to share the voices of New Yorkers with the President, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Shimon Peres and the Israeli people - that we will always and forever be Israel’s friend. The President did a great job in relaying this message to the Israeli leaders and to the Israeli people. When he went to Cairo after his election in 2009, many people accused him of not making clear the ties between Jews and the land of Israel. This time he went out of his way to show that connection. He spoke to the Israeli people in language they not only understood but felt, deeply and personally.
Referencing Jewish biblical and scholarly texts, speaking of Tikkun Olam - the Jewish tenet of repairing and improving our world, and addressing the journey of the Jewish people from the far flung corners of our world to the Jewish homeland defined by Zionist principles - President Obama left no doubt about the strong ties between the United States and Israel. When Air Force One touched down at Ben Gurion Airport, we walked outside on red carpets which were specifically designed for the ceremony. There, President Obama, Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Peres addressed the hundreds of people in attendance. When the band played the National Anthems of the U.S. and Israel - the Star Spangled Banner and Hatikvah - I had tears in my eyes. President Obama told the crowd that Israel was the first country he was visiting in his second term and that it was no accident that he made that decision. He said the bond between the United States and Israel is unbreakable. President Obama, as he did throughout his whole trip, mentioned Israel as the homeland of the Jewish
Congressman Eliot Engel, along with his colleague, Congresswoman Deborah Wasserman-Schultz of Florida, the chair of the Democratic National Committee, visited the Western Wall in Jerusalem as they accompanied President Obama on his trip to Israel last week. people and referred to Israel as the Jewish State. He repeatedly stated the ties to the land for the Jewish people dating back to Biblical times.
Much has been said through the years about the chilly relationship between Obama and Netanyahu. It was clear to me on this trip that both leaders
were making strong efforts to put aside past differences and create a warmer relationship and I believe they both succeeded. Throughout Continued on Page 14
Antagonism towards Riverdale becomes an issue in Council race
By HAYDEE CAMACHO Vowing to “fight for them and the community,” candidate for District 11 City Council seat Clifford Stanton received the endorsement of about a dozen Bedford Park, Mosholu Parkway and Norwood residents known as the “Northwest Bronx Democrats” on Friday, March 22nd in front of PS 8.
In doing so, Stanton acknowledged that some of this support could result from a “simmering” resentment of the political power that local activists there feel that the Riverdale community exercises over local politics. Stanton pledged to fight for safer schools, improved housing, and econom-
City Council candidate Clifford Stanton (2nd from right) with his new supporters from the Bedford Park and Norwood communities. Stanton acknowledged what he termed “simmering” resentment towards the perceived political influence of the Riverdale community in other neighborhoods in the 11th Council District.
ic development for the area’s residents, which, he said, are often overlooked. “In my conversations with people I’ve heard a simmering resentment about the fact that they have been ignored for far too long. The political power in this council district resides in Riverdale. They are looking for a sense of fairness for somebody who they believe will fight for them and represent them.” “I’m very pleased to receive the endorsement of an organization of Bronx residents who have labored for years to address the diverse needs of their neighborhood, said Stanton. “This really means so much to me. This is a real endorsement from a group of people who live in the area and have an unparalleled record of community service. This isn’t an endorsement from an elected official who doesn’t live in the area.” Stanton spoke of the controversy surrounding the principal of MS 80, Emmanuel Polanco, who it is alleged has appeared in explicit music videos, saying he has “lost the confidence of staff and parents.” He added that the bullying and assault of a 14-year girl inside the school was further proof of the need for his removal. Anthony Rivieccio, who heads the Northwest Bronx Democrats, said Stanton
is the City Council candidate whose views on crime, school safety and economic development reflects the group’s and will fight for the area’s interests. “The residents of Bedford Park, Norwood and Mosholu are very upset because for over 20 years we don’t believe we’ve gotten services provided in our district. That goes on in the City Council, State Legislative and Congressional level.” The race for the District 11 Council seat already looks to be a contentious one. Stanton lashed out at his opponent for District 11 Council seat, Andrew Cohen. “He likes to take endorsements of elected officials who are lined up for him by his patron Jeffrey Dinowitz and calls it his evidence of the fact that he can assemble a coalition.” Cohen, a Riverdale resident and private attorney has worked for a Bronx Supreme Court justice and as counsel to state Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz, who represents most neighborhoods in the Council district. Cohen has received a string of high profile endorsements including mayoral hopefuls including former New York City Comptroller Bill Thompson, Public Advocate Bill de Blasio and Speaker Christine Quinn, Assemblyman Mark Continued on Page 15