(INN)."Welcome to New York City, Mr. Prime Minister" was the rallying cry of the day as several hundred zealously pro-Israel supporters gathered outside the Council on Foreign Relations on Manhattan's upper east side on Thursday afternoon, July 8th, despite the blistering heat, to greet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as he delivered an address on Israel's role in the global community.
"The State of Israel wants peace and has done everything in its power to achieve it, but the only thing standing in the way are such purported "peace partners" as Hamas and Hezbollah who have vowed to obliterate Israel with the help of their financial backers such as Iran", said Avi Posnick, New York City chapter chairman of Stand With Us.
"My question is: Who is the real Barack Obama?" declared New York State Assemblyman Dov Hikind (D) who represents the 48th assembly district in Boro Park, Brooklyn. Hikind, a featured speaker at the demonstration is also a longtime Jewish activist. "There is nothing like an election year that would serve as an impetus for the President of the United States to actually treat the Prime Minister of Israel with respect" Hikind declared. "It is Hamas who has publicly proclaimed its commitment to violence and it is Israel who has many every effort towards a long range peace with the Palestinians including making the most painful decision to evacuate Jewish residents of Gush Katif in 2005" he said.
Holding aloft signs saying, "Israel Has a Right to Defend Herself" and "Iran Is The Impediment to Peace", the demonstrators waved Israeli flags and chanted "Am Yisroel Chai" (the nation of Israel lives) as a formidable contingent of anti-Israel and pro-Hamas apologists stood directly across the street in opposition.
"Don't believe for even a moment that there is a humanitarian crisis in Gaza" said Malcolm Hoenlein, executive vice chairman and CEO of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations. "There is no shortage of food and medicine in Gaza. Every week Israeli allows tens of thousands of pounds of food and other essential staple items into Gaza", he said. "We, too, want to end the 'siege' on Gaza. We, too, want to end the siege that has been imposed on the Palestinian people of Gaza by the Iranian proxy terrorist organization Hamas. We, too, want to see a 'free' Gaza. A Gaza that is free of rockets, missiles and deadly explosives that are smuggled in by the kinds of people who were aboard the IHH sponsored flotilla" he intoned.
Referring to the counter-protestors, Hoenlein said, "Despite the signs they hold that designate themselves as humanitarians, the clearly stated objectives of these people is the annihilation of Israel. We must let the world know that those who are enemies of Israel are also enemies of freedom, democracy, justice and liberty and they threaten Western civilization as we know it."
"The State of Israel wants peace and has done everything in its power to achieve it, but the only thing standing in the way are such purported "peace partners" as Hamas and Hezbollah who have vowed to obliterate Israel with the help of their financial backers such as Iran", said Avi Posnick, New York City chapter chairman of Stand With Us.
"My question is: Who is the real Barack Obama?" declared New York State Assemblyman Dov Hikind (D) who represents the 48th assembly district in Boro Park, Brooklyn. Hikind, a featured speaker at the demonstration is also a longtime Jewish activist. "There is nothing like an election year that would serve as an impetus for the President of the United States to actually treat the Prime Minister of Israel with respect" Hikind declared. "It is Hamas who has publicly proclaimed its commitment to violence and it is Israel who has many every effort towards a long range peace with the Palestinians including making the most painful decision to evacuate Jewish residents of Gush Katif in 2005" he said.
Holding aloft signs saying, "Israel Has a Right to Defend Herself" and "Iran Is The Impediment to Peace", the demonstrators waved Israeli flags and chanted "Am Yisroel Chai" (the nation of Israel lives) as a formidable contingent of anti-Israel and pro-Hamas apologists stood directly across the street in opposition.
"Don't believe for even a moment that there is a humanitarian crisis in Gaza" said Malcolm Hoenlein, executive vice chairman and CEO of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations. "There is no shortage of food and medicine in Gaza. Every week Israeli allows tens of thousands of pounds of food and other essential staple items into Gaza", he said. "We, too, want to end the 'siege' on Gaza. We, too, want to end the siege that has been imposed on the Palestinian people of Gaza by the Iranian proxy terrorist organization Hamas. We, too, want to see a 'free' Gaza. A Gaza that is free of rockets, missiles and deadly explosives that are smuggled in by the kinds of people who were aboard the IHH sponsored flotilla" he intoned.
Referring to the counter-protestors, Hoenlein said, "Despite the signs they hold that designate themselves as humanitarians, the clearly stated objectives of these people is the annihilation of Israel. We must let the world know that those who are enemies of Israel are also enemies of freedom, democracy, justice and liberty and they threaten Western civilization as we know it."