Hikind Hails Netanyahu, Disses Obama
Boro Park Assemblyman Dov Hikind yesterday both hailed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech before a joint session of Congress and assailed President Obama for his stance against it.
“Why did President Obama fear this speech?” asks Hikind. “The speech is over and nothing catastrophic occurred. The world is still standing. Clearly, it’s not speeches from our allies that we should fear. The onslaught against Netanyahu over the last two months has been unnecessary.”
“We’re all weary of war and terror. Everyone who is civilized wants peace in the world, and in wanting peace so desperately, there is a part of every one of us that wants to believe a ‘deal’ with Iran will lead to greater security. But Prime Minister Netanyahu understands the difference between fantasy and reality. He understands the danger of ignoring the facts. As a leader responsible for the millions of lives that hang in the balance, he has shared those stark facts with Congress, with the American people, and with everyone in the world who is willing to look at hard evidence,” the lawmaker added.
Obama responded to the speech that as far as he could tell Netanyahu presented nothing new to his well-known position on the issue, and that Netanyahu’s speech failed to offer a concrete plan for action, or any “viable alternatives” to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
“The alternative that the Prime Minister offers is no deal, in which case Iran will immediately begin once again pursuing its nuclear program, accelerate its nuclear program, without us having any insight into what they’re doing,” he said, adding sanctions and military action would not be enough to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, and called for patience in the negotiations process.
“I have repeatedly said that I would rather have no deal than a bad deal, but if we’re successful in negotiating, then, in fact, this will be the best deal possible to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. Nothing else comes close,” he added.
De Blasio Signs Treyger-Sponsored Bills
Mayor Bill de Blasio yesterday signed into law two bills dealing with emergency preparedness that Coney Island City Councilman Mark Treyger championed.
The first bill calls for the OEM (Office of Emergency Management) to distribute emergency preparedness materials to communities at risk during coastal storms and hurricanes, including information on local evacuation zones and resources.
The second measure creates a Hurricane Sandy charitable organization and house of worship recovery task force. This task force will make recommendations on how to streamline the allocation of resources and support.
“After the devastation of Hurricane Sandy, we promised our residents that we would rebuild a stronger and more resilient city—and that we would be better prepared for the next coastal storm. Today’s two bills are another strong step in this direction, by helping ensure that we are better prepared for extreme weather the next time we need to be,” said de Blasio.
“As we continue the recovery from Sandy, it is imperative that we do not forget about the charitable organizations and houses of worship that opened their doors to storm victims and played a vital role in the hours, days and weeks after the storm hit our city,” said Treyger. “It is also critical that we learn from this experience and find ways to better connect residents in vulnerable communities with information that is specific to their neighborhood. This legislation will help accomplish these goals and better prepare us for the next major storm or emergency.”
Williams Addresses Rise in Violent Crime
East Flatbush City Council Member Jumaane D. Williams, who co-chairs the Council’s Task Force to Combat Gun Violence, called the uptick in shootings and murders thus far this year troubling.
“It is troubling to learn that increases in shootings have occurred across the city. We must remember that these are not just statistics, but are New Yorkers being killed by senseless acts of violence,” said Williams. “My prayers for peace and comfort are with the friends and family of the victims, including Alexander Manning, a former marine who was shot and killed last week by a group of teenagers when he refused to let them rob him in front of his East Flatbush apartment.”
The NYPD blamed the spike in violence to illicit marijuana sales, according to DNAInfo.
Robert Boyce, the NYPD Chief of Detectives, said that most of the drug-related deaths are robberies.
“These are all ripoffs. These are not turf battles,” he said at a press conference. “These are ripoffs of marijuana dealers, robberies. That’s where we’re coming from.”
Jeffries Praises Homeland Security Passage
Congressman Hakeem Jeffries praised yesterday’s House passage to fully fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
The measure has been holed up in the Republican-dominated House as a number of majority party members tried to tie up the funding with immigration-related concessions. This led to gridlock in funding the DHS, which was assailed in the court of public opinion.
The House voted 257-167 in favor of the $40 billion spending measure with all 182 Democrats present voting for the bill and 75 Republican “yes” votes.
“The collapse of the reckless Republican shutdown strategy is complete. These are dangerous times that require all hands on deck without distraction. The passage of legislation to fully fund the Department of Homeland Security is a critical step toward keeping us safe. Leader Pelosi should be applauded for her resolute leadership in getting this done. We must get back to doing the business of the American people,” said Jeffries.
