The following is an article that I wrote for The Jewish Link of
Bergen County, in which I take a look at the campaign in New Jersey’s 5th Congressional
District, assess Democrat Roy Cho’s spirited challenge to incumbent Republican
Congressman Scott Garrett, and examine Cho’s relationship with the large Jewish community in the district that he is seeking to represent:
FIGHTING TO THE FINISH IN THE FIFTH
By: N. Aaron Troodler
The race in New Jersey’s 5th Congressional District has
surprisingly become one of the more closely watched races in the nation. No one
thought that this district would be as competitive as it has – that is, no one
except Roy Cho.
A 33-year-old first time candidate, Roy Cho, a Hackensack resident
and a Manhattan attorney, has closed the gap with incumbent Republican
Congressman Scott Garrett and has been winning over people throughout the district
and across the state.
At a recent event of the New Jersey State Democratic Committee’s
Jewish Caucus in Teaneck, Cho spent several hours shaking hands and engaging in
conversation with the Jewish Democrats who were eager to speak with him. After
addressing the crowd, Cho got a standing ovation accompanied by thunderous
applause.
Roy Cho’s energy and excitement have won him a lot of fans, not
only in the district that he’s seeking to represent in Washington, but also
among the state’s political establishment.
“We are absolutely delighted with how the race has gone and with
Roy Cho as our candidate,” Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg told me. “He’s
an excellent candidate, he’s articulate about the issues, and he’s been able to
raise enough money to get his message out. He’s made me very proud.”
After referring to Roy Cho as “one of the great up and coming
stars,” Senator Cory Booker said that his mother and brother both told him
that, “the most exciting politician in the state is Roy Cho.”
“This is a truly amazing human being,” said Senator Booker,
referring to Cho. “His grit and determination has dramatically closed the gap
with his opponent.”
“If we get him to Congress, I guarantee you this – 10 years from
now, 15 years from now, you will see one of the more influential leaders in
this country,” Senator Booker said.
Referring to the momentum that Cho’s campaign is carrying into the
final days of the campaign, Bergen County Democratic Chairman Lou Stellato said
that, “Roy Cho’s train is full speed ahead and it’s not stopping until next Tuesday.”
Roy Cho, who has garnered valuable endorsements by The Bergen
Record and The Star Ledger, has raised an impressive $1.2 million thus far for
his campaign.
I recently had the opportunity to talk with Roy Cho about his
campaign and to discuss his relationship with the Jewish community. Throughout
the course of the interview, Cho spoke quickly as he displayed the sense of energy
and enthusiasm that has come to define his campaign.
“The support that I’ve been receiving from constituents in the
district who are Jewish has been truly incredible,” Cho said.
Cho and I discussed his recent journey to Israel, which was his
first trip to the Jewish State, where he was able to gain a better
understanding of the challenges that the Israeli people are living with on a
daily basis.
Cho described his trip to Israel as “really impactful and a very
important part of this campaign journey.” “It was a trip that I really wanted
to take and I was honored to be able to go there,” he said. “It was a learning
experience for me.”
He recounted to me the details of his visit to the Israeli city of
Sderot. Although Cho had attended an AIPAC Young Leadership event several years
ago where he heard the chief engineer of the Iron Dome speak about the
remarkable life-saving technology, it did not compare to traveling to Sderot,
seeing how the people live, talking to the residents, and witnessing how they
integrate bomb shelters into the children’s play areas.
“My favorite defining childhood memory was jumping onto a bicycle
in the suburbs and disappearing for a couple of hours and then coming back for
dinner,” Cho said. “The kids in Sderot don’t have that same opportunity.”
“It was a very jarring experience to be able to see what the
Israeli people are dealing with on a daily basis,” Cho told me. “Despite all of
that, to see how welcoming and open and how friendly, hopeful, and optimistic
the Israeli people were was something that was so refreshing to me.”
I asked Cho how he could play a role in taking steps to ensure the safety
and security of Israel as a Member of Congress.
“Israel needs money,” Cho said. “It needs federal funding from the
United States to be able to implement programs like Iron Dome and to also allay
their security costs that they have to deal with on a daily basis.”
Roy Cho discussed the $3.1 billion of annual foreign aid to Israel,
which he called “necessary dollars.” “As a Member of Congress, I want to
aggressively advocate for that federal funding,” he said.
“From a foreign policy perspective, I want to be a leader in this
debate and I want to advocate aggressively in favor of Israel’s interests,
because we recognize that Israel’s interests are America’s interests,” Cho
said.
Cho addressed the rise of anti-Semitism in Europe and noted that that
we are seeing Islamist fundamentalists crop up all over the world. “This is
something that we have to be very vigilant against, and as a Member of
Congress, I want to be able to push past the political rhetoric and recognize
that from just a hard security perspective, our interests are Israel’s
interests,” he said.
“We have to make sure that we are aggressively advocating on behalf
of Israel’s interests because our interests are intertwined,” said Cho. “From a
foreign policy perspective as well from a larger cultural perspective, the
importance of Israel to America is very, very clear.”
Cho and I discussed the importance of the Jewish community, both in
the context of the broader political arena and within the 5th Congressional
District.
“The Jewish community is a very sophisticated community that is
involved in the issues, whether it’s the cost of day schools, whether it is
foreign policy – all the way from local, state to federal issues, American
Jewry across the country is very engaged in political issues,” Cho said. “It is
a very natural and important constituency, and it also happens to be a large
constituency in the 5th Congressional District.”
Roy Cho, a Korean-American who is the son of immigrants, drew interesting
parallels between the Korean-American community and the Jewish community.
“I want to be able to find an overlap that does exist between
Jewish values and Korean-American values, because there is a tremendous amount
of overlap,” he said. “The emphasis on education, the emphasis on a close-knit
family, and the emphasis on giving back to the community if you are successful
in the private sector – all of these values are shared values that we have.”
“A lot of Korean-Americans have modeled themselves after what
American Jewry has been able to accomplish in this country,” noted Cho.
Noting that he appears to be heading into the homestretch of his
campaign with a great deal of momentum, I asked Cho what his approach is going
to be between now and Election Day.
“Going into the homestretch, we’re going to continue to stay on
message and talk about the issues,” he said. “The reality is that people saw
this as being an uphill battle for a long period of time, but we recognize the
mismatch that exists between Scott Garrett’s representation and the interests
and beliefs of the people who live in the 5th Congressional District, and we
knew that our message could penetrate.”
“In the 5th Congressional District, we have one of the most highly
educated congressional districts in the entire country,” remarked Cho. “The
voters who live in this district are not just going to blindly vote on party
lines – they’re going to vote on the issues that are important to them – the
bread and butter issues that matter.”
“When I walk around the district, I’m talking about the local
issues and what impacts them, and asking whether their representative is making
votes that are fundamentally mismatched with their own beliefs,” Cho said. “If
that is the case, then it’s time for somebody else.”
Noting that he is not only getting support from the Democratic
base, but also from moderate Republicans, Cho told me that, “the notion of
having someone who can govern from the center has really been resonating.”
Cho called his message “complex and nuanced” but said “he’s
fortunate to have a voting electorate that is incredibly sophisticated” and
that his message “is penetrating.”
“We believe that we are peaking at just the right time, going into
the homestretch,” he said.
Scott Garrett has criticized Cho during the course of the campaign,
alleging that he only recently moved into the district solely in order to run
for Congress. Cho and his campaign have vehemently rejected this charge and
painted it as an attempt by Garrett to distract voters from the real issues in
the campaign.
“Scott
Garrett’s allegations that Roy did anything improper are completely false,”
Cho’s campaign spokesman Derek Roseman told me. “Roy has never lived his life
like career politicians like Scott Garrett who plans every move based on
serving his political interests. In fact, Roy only decided to run for Congress
after deciding to set his roots in Bergen County and realizing how Scott Garrett
does not represent the interests of the 5th Congressional District at all.
“Roy is a
person just like millions of others who have moved around before finding their
permanent home,” Roseman added. “Political and legal experts alike have said he
did absolutely nothing improper.
“It’s not
surprising that Scott Garrett, the career politician who continues to lie to
voters about dragging his feet on Sandy relief in order to distract them from
his extreme record of voting against women, veterans, seniors and the majority
of his constituents, would turn to such sleazy tactics as a last-ditch effort
to save his flailing campaign,” Roseman said.
As he endeavors to deflect his opponent’s political attacks, Roy
Cho continues to do what he can to connect with the people in the district and
win their support. We will soon see whether or not he will emerge victorious on
Election Day, but regardless of the outcome, Roy Cho has demonstrated to
everyone that he belongs in the political arena. As he fights to the finish in
the 5th Congressional District, this young man has proven his political prowess
and solidified his position as a rising star within the Democratic Party.
N. Aaron Troodler is an attorney and
principal of Paul Revere Public Relations, a public relations and political
consulting firm. Visit him on the Web at TroodlersTake.blogspot.com,
www.PaulReverePR.com, or www.JewishWorldPR.com. You can also follow him on
Twitter: @troodler
Thursday, October 30, 2014
A Shidduch Made In Trenton
The following is my latest column in The Jewish Link of Bergen
County, in which I take a look at the New Jersey State Democratic Committee’s
newly formed Jewish Caucus:
A SHIDDUCH MADE IN TRENTON
By: N. Aaron Troodler, Esq.
With just over a week to go before Election Day, over 200 Bergen County Democrats gathered at the Richard Rodda Community Center in Teaneck on Sunday, October 26 for an event sponsored by the newly formed New Jersey State Democratic Committee’s Jewish Caucus.
A number of dignitaries were in attendance at the standing room only event, including Senator Cory Booker, Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg, New Jersey State Democratic Committee Chairman John Currie, Executive Director of the National Jewish Democratic Council Rabbi Jack Moline, congressional candidate Roy Cho, Assemblymen Gordon Johnson and Gary Schaer, Bergen County Democratic Chairman Lou Stellato, Bergen County Freeholder Tracy Silna Zur, Teaneck Mayor Lizette Parker, Teaneck Deputy Mayor Elie Y. Katz, Teaneck Councilman Jason Castle, Rabbi Menachem Genack, and Jewish Caucus Co-Chair Rabbi Ben Kelsen.
While enjoying a delectable kosher brunch provided by Sammy’s Bagels of Teaneck, the crowd heard from a number of speakers who discussed the importance and value of the Jewish Caucus.
Following introductory remarks by Steven Goldstein, Deputy Vice Chair of the New Jersey State Democratic Committee and a Co-Chair of the Jewish Caucus, Senator Weinberg enumerated the reasons why having a Jewish Caucus is so important and emphatically stated that, “my Jewish values shape my public life.”
In an interview with Senator Weinberg, she told me that, “we need to make sure that within the party structure itself in New Jersey and in Bergen County we have an organized voice so that the party structure is always aware of things that are important to the Jewish community.”
“The idea of having a Jewish Caucus is a very positive step,” Senator Weinberg said to me during our conversation. “It’s good for the organized Jewish community to know that there is a place to come to in the event that there are issues relating to state government.”
“I think that we, and I’m talking about the Jewish community, feel at home in the Democratic Party,” she said.
The formation of the Jewish Caucus was spearheaded and supported by Chairman John Currie, who told me that, “it’s about inclusion and being open and getting people to participate.” “Folks are excited to have a voice,” he said.
“Jewish values are Democratic values,” said Chairman Currie. “I’m very excited about the Jewish Caucus.”
“The caucus is a great idea,” Rabbi Jack Moline told me. “I think that there are messages that we need to deliver to constituents to give them sort of a comprehensive idea of why they should be voting as Democrats, rather than voting on specific issues.” “I hope that other states will follow this example,” he said.
“This is a caucus that really excites me more than you all know,” Senator Booker told the crowd. “I’ve had a very interesting Jewish life, if I must say,” he remarked as he discussed his unique connection to Judaism that began during his time as a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University. “I was discovering myself through the study of Judaism and the Torah.”
“The Democratic values and ideals really resonate with Jewish values,” said Senator Booker. “My hope is that we don’t just talk about things and we don’t just hope about things. This is about a purpose. We have got to be active and engaged.”
After the event concluded, I spoke with Senator Booker about why he believes the Jewish Caucus is so crucial.
“Every time you organize around common ideals and common objectives you increase your strength,” he told me. “I think that with the Jewish voice becoming stronger within the Democratic Party, even more so that it’s been traditionally, and influencing elections and making a difference, I think that really affects policy and helps the interests and the ideas of the community have even more of an impact and more influence.”
I asked Senator Booker how important the Jewish community is in the context of Democratic politics in New Jersey.
“The Jewish community is extraordinarily important,” he said. “The Jewish community has the ability to make a big impact on larger social policy issues.”
“The Jewish community was active in the civil rights movement and helped to dramatically change where we are as a country right now, and the Jewish community has the same potential to make that type of impact today,” said the Senator.
When I spoke with Roy Cho, who is vying to unseat the incumbent Republican Congressman in New Jersey’s 5th Congressional District, he immediately drew a parallel between the Democratic Party and the Jewish community.
“A lot of the values that the Jewish community holds dear are values that the Democratic Party also holds very dear,” Cho told me. “From a political perspective, it’s important for us to really focus upon the shared values that the Democratic Party has with the Jewish culture.”
There is no doubt that with the formation of the Jewish Caucus, New Jersey’s large and vibrant Jewish community has a more formal voice in state Democratic politics than ever before. With the steadfast support and enthusiastic backing of some of New Jersey’s most prominent elected officials and leading State Democratic Party officials, it looks like this shidduch made in Trenton between the New Jersey State Democratic Party and the Jewish community is going to bear some wonderful fruit.
N. Aaron Troodler is an attorney and principal of Paul Revere Public Relations, a public relations and political consulting firm. Visit him on the Web at TroodlersTake.blogspot.com, www.PaulReverePR.com, or www.JewishWorldPR.com. You can also follow him on Twitter: @troodler
A SHIDDUCH MADE IN TRENTON
By: N. Aaron Troodler, Esq.
With just over a week to go before Election Day, over 200 Bergen County Democrats gathered at the Richard Rodda Community Center in Teaneck on Sunday, October 26 for an event sponsored by the newly formed New Jersey State Democratic Committee’s Jewish Caucus.
A number of dignitaries were in attendance at the standing room only event, including Senator Cory Booker, Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg, New Jersey State Democratic Committee Chairman John Currie, Executive Director of the National Jewish Democratic Council Rabbi Jack Moline, congressional candidate Roy Cho, Assemblymen Gordon Johnson and Gary Schaer, Bergen County Democratic Chairman Lou Stellato, Bergen County Freeholder Tracy Silna Zur, Teaneck Mayor Lizette Parker, Teaneck Deputy Mayor Elie Y. Katz, Teaneck Councilman Jason Castle, Rabbi Menachem Genack, and Jewish Caucus Co-Chair Rabbi Ben Kelsen.
While enjoying a delectable kosher brunch provided by Sammy’s Bagels of Teaneck, the crowd heard from a number of speakers who discussed the importance and value of the Jewish Caucus.
Following introductory remarks by Steven Goldstein, Deputy Vice Chair of the New Jersey State Democratic Committee and a Co-Chair of the Jewish Caucus, Senator Weinberg enumerated the reasons why having a Jewish Caucus is so important and emphatically stated that, “my Jewish values shape my public life.”
In an interview with Senator Weinberg, she told me that, “we need to make sure that within the party structure itself in New Jersey and in Bergen County we have an organized voice so that the party structure is always aware of things that are important to the Jewish community.”
“The idea of having a Jewish Caucus is a very positive step,” Senator Weinberg said to me during our conversation. “It’s good for the organized Jewish community to know that there is a place to come to in the event that there are issues relating to state government.”
“I think that we, and I’m talking about the Jewish community, feel at home in the Democratic Party,” she said.
The formation of the Jewish Caucus was spearheaded and supported by Chairman John Currie, who told me that, “it’s about inclusion and being open and getting people to participate.” “Folks are excited to have a voice,” he said.
“Jewish values are Democratic values,” said Chairman Currie. “I’m very excited about the Jewish Caucus.”
“The caucus is a great idea,” Rabbi Jack Moline told me. “I think that there are messages that we need to deliver to constituents to give them sort of a comprehensive idea of why they should be voting as Democrats, rather than voting on specific issues.” “I hope that other states will follow this example,” he said.
“This is a caucus that really excites me more than you all know,” Senator Booker told the crowd. “I’ve had a very interesting Jewish life, if I must say,” he remarked as he discussed his unique connection to Judaism that began during his time as a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University. “I was discovering myself through the study of Judaism and the Torah.”
“The Democratic values and ideals really resonate with Jewish values,” said Senator Booker. “My hope is that we don’t just talk about things and we don’t just hope about things. This is about a purpose. We have got to be active and engaged.”
After the event concluded, I spoke with Senator Booker about why he believes the Jewish Caucus is so crucial.
“Every time you organize around common ideals and common objectives you increase your strength,” he told me. “I think that with the Jewish voice becoming stronger within the Democratic Party, even more so that it’s been traditionally, and influencing elections and making a difference, I think that really affects policy and helps the interests and the ideas of the community have even more of an impact and more influence.”
I asked Senator Booker how important the Jewish community is in the context of Democratic politics in New Jersey.
“The Jewish community is extraordinarily important,” he said. “The Jewish community has the ability to make a big impact on larger social policy issues.”
“The Jewish community was active in the civil rights movement and helped to dramatically change where we are as a country right now, and the Jewish community has the same potential to make that type of impact today,” said the Senator.
When I spoke with Roy Cho, who is vying to unseat the incumbent Republican Congressman in New Jersey’s 5th Congressional District, he immediately drew a parallel between the Democratic Party and the Jewish community.
“A lot of the values that the Jewish community holds dear are values that the Democratic Party also holds very dear,” Cho told me. “From a political perspective, it’s important for us to really focus upon the shared values that the Democratic Party has with the Jewish culture.”
There is no doubt that with the formation of the Jewish Caucus, New Jersey’s large and vibrant Jewish community has a more formal voice in state Democratic politics than ever before. With the steadfast support and enthusiastic backing of some of New Jersey’s most prominent elected officials and leading State Democratic Party officials, it looks like this shidduch made in Trenton between the New Jersey State Democratic Party and the Jewish community is going to bear some wonderful fruit.
N. Aaron Troodler is an attorney and principal of Paul Revere Public Relations, a public relations and political consulting firm. Visit him on the Web at TroodlersTake.blogspot.com, www.PaulReverePR.com, or www.JewishWorldPR.com. You can also follow him on Twitter: @troodler
Tuesday, October 14, 2014
The Annual State of the Jewish State Address
The following is my latest
column in The Jewish Link of Bergen County, in which I examine the significance
of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s annual address to the United Nations General
Assembly:
THE ANNUAL STATE OF THE JEWISH STATE ADDRESS
By: N. Aaron Troodler, Esq.
In what has become a highly anticipated annual event, each year, the United Nations General Assembly welcomes dignitaries from across the globe to the East Side of Manhattan for a confab of the world’s most powerful leaders.
The UN General Assembly means different things to different people. For many people, it symbolizes a week of frustration due to the incredible gridlock on the streets around the United Nations. Some people enjoy the opportunity to gawk at the dignitaries, with their large entourages and fancy motorcades, as they traverse the Manhattan streets. Other folks eagerly anticipate hearing some of the more extreme and sometimes incendiary speeches which are delivered by the dictators and tyrants that just cannot help themselves when they take to the podium with the world watching.
As for me, for the past several years, I have always looked forward to listening to the Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, make his annual address. I consider it to be Prime Minister Netanyahu’s annual “State of the Jewish State Address” to the world.
In addition, to appreciating his masterful command of the English language and its many colloquial nuances, I genuinely enjoy listening not only to what Prime Minister Netanyahu has to say, but also how he says it.
This year, in what marked a sharp deviation from his addresses to the UNGA in 2013 and 2012, the Prime Minister, although he discussed Iran, did not make it the centerpiece of his remarks.
To put it in perspective, Netanyahu uttered the word “Iran” (or variations thereof) 25 times in his 2014 address. By contrast, he mentioned “Iran” 68 times in his 2013 speech, at which time he famously referred to Iranian President Hassan Rouhani as “a wolf in sheep’s clothing,” and 55 times in his 2012 address, during which he unveiled the now famous “Bibi Bomb” graphic.
This year, in addition to a very timely Derek Jeter reference, Netanyahu spent a good deal of time discussing ISIS and the threat of militant Islam. Picking up on President Obama’s call to the nations of the world to form a coalition to combat ISIS, Prime Minister Netanyahu likened Hamas to ISIS and called for the world to “remove this cancer before it’s too late.”
“The fight against militant Islam is indivisible,” said Netanyahu. “When militant Islam succeeds anywhere, it’s emboldened everywhere. When it suffers a blow in one place, it’s set back in every place. That’s why Israel’s fight against Hamas is not just our fight. It’s your fight. Israel is fighting a fanaticism today that your countries may be forced to fight tomorrow.”
Looking back at Netanyahu’s UN addresses over the past several years, one of the common themes that he touches on annually is Israel’s desire to achieve peace.
In order to solve the conflict with the Palestinians, “[w]e have to sit together, negotiate together, and reach a mutual compromise, in which a demilitarized Palestinian state recognizes the one and only Jewish State,” declared Netanyahu in his 2012 address the UN General Assembly. “Israel wants to see a Middle East of progress and peace. We want to see the three great religions that sprang forth from our region – Judaism, Christianity and Islam – coexist in peace and in mutual respect.”
“Israel continues to seek an historic peace with our Palestinian neighbors, one that ends our conflict once and for all,” said Netanyahu in his 2013 speech to the UN. “We want a peace based on security and mutual recognition in which a demilitarized Palestinian state recognizes the Jewish state of Israel. I remain committed to achieving an historic conciliation and building a better future for Israelis and Palestinians alike.”
“For peace to be achieved, the Palestinians must finally recognize the Jewish state and Israel’s security needs must be met,” continued Netanyahu. “I am prepared to make an historic compromise for a genuine and enduring peace. But I will never compromise on the security of my people and of my country of the one and only Jewish state.”
“In any peace agreement, which will obviously necessitate a territorial compromise, I will always insist that Israel be able to defend itself by itself against any threat,” Netanyahu stated in this years’ remarks to the UN. “Yet despite all that has happened, some still don’t take Israel’s security concerns seriously. But I do, and I always will. Because, as Prime Minister of Israel, I am entrusted with the awesome responsibility of ensuring the future of the Jewish people and the future of the Jewish state. And no matter what pressure is brought to bear, I will never waver in fulfilling that responsibility. I believe that with a fresh approach from our neighbors, we can advance peace despite the difficulties we face.”
Yes, Hamas and militant Islam pose a grave threat to the State of Israel and to the world. And we are all well aware of the great dangers associated with a nuclear-armed Iran. Prime Minister Netanyahu always goes to great lengths to illustrate these frightening facts to the world in his UN addresses, and rightfully so.
But Netanyahu also does what he can to ensure that the international community comprehends that Israel is interested in peace. Despite the perception of many that Israel is somehow the impediment to peace, the reality is that Israel wants nothing more than to live in peace and to see an end to the fighting.
As Netanyahu has repeatedly pointed out, a demilitarized Palestinian state and Palestinian recognition and acceptance of Israel as a Jewish State are fundamental prerequisites to peace. These are certainly not unreasonable requests on the part of Netanyahu. If the Palestinians truly want peace, Prime Minister Netanyahu has made it explicitly clear how that can be achieved. If Mahmoud Abbas would simply listen to Prime Minister Netanyahu’s annual “State of the Jewish State Address” at the UN instead of repeatedly advocating for unilateral steps to achieve statehood, he would realize that the roadmap to peace has been handed to him on a silver platter.
N. Aaron Troodler is an attorney and principal of Paul Revere Public Relations, a public relations and political consulting firm. Visit him on the Web at TroodlersTake.blogspot.com, www.PaulReverePR.com, or www.JewishWorldPR.com. You can also follow him on Twitter: @troodler
THE ANNUAL STATE OF THE JEWISH STATE ADDRESS
By: N. Aaron Troodler, Esq.
In what has become a highly anticipated annual event, each year, the United Nations General Assembly welcomes dignitaries from across the globe to the East Side of Manhattan for a confab of the world’s most powerful leaders.
The UN General Assembly means different things to different people. For many people, it symbolizes a week of frustration due to the incredible gridlock on the streets around the United Nations. Some people enjoy the opportunity to gawk at the dignitaries, with their large entourages and fancy motorcades, as they traverse the Manhattan streets. Other folks eagerly anticipate hearing some of the more extreme and sometimes incendiary speeches which are delivered by the dictators and tyrants that just cannot help themselves when they take to the podium with the world watching.
As for me, for the past several years, I have always looked forward to listening to the Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, make his annual address. I consider it to be Prime Minister Netanyahu’s annual “State of the Jewish State Address” to the world.
In addition, to appreciating his masterful command of the English language and its many colloquial nuances, I genuinely enjoy listening not only to what Prime Minister Netanyahu has to say, but also how he says it.
This year, in what marked a sharp deviation from his addresses to the UNGA in 2013 and 2012, the Prime Minister, although he discussed Iran, did not make it the centerpiece of his remarks.
To put it in perspective, Netanyahu uttered the word “Iran” (or variations thereof) 25 times in his 2014 address. By contrast, he mentioned “Iran” 68 times in his 2013 speech, at which time he famously referred to Iranian President Hassan Rouhani as “a wolf in sheep’s clothing,” and 55 times in his 2012 address, during which he unveiled the now famous “Bibi Bomb” graphic.
This year, in addition to a very timely Derek Jeter reference, Netanyahu spent a good deal of time discussing ISIS and the threat of militant Islam. Picking up on President Obama’s call to the nations of the world to form a coalition to combat ISIS, Prime Minister Netanyahu likened Hamas to ISIS and called for the world to “remove this cancer before it’s too late.”
“The fight against militant Islam is indivisible,” said Netanyahu. “When militant Islam succeeds anywhere, it’s emboldened everywhere. When it suffers a blow in one place, it’s set back in every place. That’s why Israel’s fight against Hamas is not just our fight. It’s your fight. Israel is fighting a fanaticism today that your countries may be forced to fight tomorrow.”
Looking back at Netanyahu’s UN addresses over the past several years, one of the common themes that he touches on annually is Israel’s desire to achieve peace.
In order to solve the conflict with the Palestinians, “[w]e have to sit together, negotiate together, and reach a mutual compromise, in which a demilitarized Palestinian state recognizes the one and only Jewish State,” declared Netanyahu in his 2012 address the UN General Assembly. “Israel wants to see a Middle East of progress and peace. We want to see the three great religions that sprang forth from our region – Judaism, Christianity and Islam – coexist in peace and in mutual respect.”
“Israel continues to seek an historic peace with our Palestinian neighbors, one that ends our conflict once and for all,” said Netanyahu in his 2013 speech to the UN. “We want a peace based on security and mutual recognition in which a demilitarized Palestinian state recognizes the Jewish state of Israel. I remain committed to achieving an historic conciliation and building a better future for Israelis and Palestinians alike.”
“For peace to be achieved, the Palestinians must finally recognize the Jewish state and Israel’s security needs must be met,” continued Netanyahu. “I am prepared to make an historic compromise for a genuine and enduring peace. But I will never compromise on the security of my people and of my country of the one and only Jewish state.”
“In any peace agreement, which will obviously necessitate a territorial compromise, I will always insist that Israel be able to defend itself by itself against any threat,” Netanyahu stated in this years’ remarks to the UN. “Yet despite all that has happened, some still don’t take Israel’s security concerns seriously. But I do, and I always will. Because, as Prime Minister of Israel, I am entrusted with the awesome responsibility of ensuring the future of the Jewish people and the future of the Jewish state. And no matter what pressure is brought to bear, I will never waver in fulfilling that responsibility. I believe that with a fresh approach from our neighbors, we can advance peace despite the difficulties we face.”
Yes, Hamas and militant Islam pose a grave threat to the State of Israel and to the world. And we are all well aware of the great dangers associated with a nuclear-armed Iran. Prime Minister Netanyahu always goes to great lengths to illustrate these frightening facts to the world in his UN addresses, and rightfully so.
But Netanyahu also does what he can to ensure that the international community comprehends that Israel is interested in peace. Despite the perception of many that Israel is somehow the impediment to peace, the reality is that Israel wants nothing more than to live in peace and to see an end to the fighting.
As Netanyahu has repeatedly pointed out, a demilitarized Palestinian state and Palestinian recognition and acceptance of Israel as a Jewish State are fundamental prerequisites to peace. These are certainly not unreasonable requests on the part of Netanyahu. If the Palestinians truly want peace, Prime Minister Netanyahu has made it explicitly clear how that can be achieved. If Mahmoud Abbas would simply listen to Prime Minister Netanyahu’s annual “State of the Jewish State Address” at the UN instead of repeatedly advocating for unilateral steps to achieve statehood, he would realize that the roadmap to peace has been handed to him on a silver platter.
N. Aaron Troodler is an attorney and principal of Paul Revere Public Relations, a public relations and political consulting firm. Visit him on the Web at TroodlersTake.blogspot.com, www.PaulReverePR.com, or www.JewishWorldPR.com. You can also follow him on Twitter: @troodler
Thursday, October 2, 2014
Waiting on Hillary
The following is my latest column in The
Jewish Link of Bergen County, which is an open letter to Hillary Clinton as she
contemplates a run for the White House:
WAITING ON HILLARY
By: N. Aaron Troodler, Esq.
An open letter to Hillary Clinton
Dear Hillary,
You must have the weight of the world on your shoulders. All eyes are upon you at all times, and political reporters, pundits, and the public hang on your every word. The incredible scrutiny that you now endure undoubtedly rivals the spotlight that was shined upon you when you were the First Lady of the United States. The intense analysis that ensues anytime you make a statement is comparable to the attention that you garnered when you served as Secretary of State or as a member of the United States Senate. You are bearing what appears to be a crushing burden.
In the scheme of things, it is not the least bit surprising. In my estimation, the chaos will continue for quite some time. The question is, for how long. And that is up to you.
The question on everyone’s mind is will she, or won’t she? Will she take the plunge and jump into the 2016 presidential race? Or, will she take a pass and forego the presidential sweepstakes?
On your end, you have been extremely coy about your intentions thus far. At times, you act like a person who is methodically laying the groundwork for a White House run. Yet, at other times, you display an apparent indifference to the entire process.
Yes, you are only one individual. But you are just any person – you are Hillary Clinton. And for that sole reason, your plans vis-a-vis this race are the only thing that matters to people.
Other potential Democratic presidential candidates are hanging back before they openly declare their intentions pending your decision. If you decide to run, you instantly become the frontrunner. If you choose not to run, the field suddenly becomes wide open for all of the other Democratic presidential hopefuls.
You are obviously closely monitoring the early 2016 polls, which show you with a commanding lead over your potential competitors. You must know that a recent CNN poll found that 53% of registered Democratic voters in Iowa would cast their vote for you in 2016. To put that in perspective, Vice President Joe Biden was a very distant second with 15% and Senator Elizabeth Warren registered just 7%.
Speaking of Iowa, you just made a high-profile return to the state that holds the first presidential caucus of the presidential season. The last time you were there, which was during the 2008 presidential campaign, you suffered a stinging defeat to the man who would ultimately go on to become the next President of the United States.
But that was ancient history. Your triumphant return to Iowa several weeks ago for Senator Tom Harkin’s famous steak fry fundraiser furthered the speculation about your presidential intentions. After telling the crowd, “I’m back!” you wowed them with your charisma and your command of the issues. You even acknowledged to the crowd that you are “thinking about” running for president.
Fresh off of your big appearance in Iowa, we discovered that you are heading up to New Hampshire, another critical state in the 2016 presidential contest, to be the featured guest at a fundraiser for State Senator Lou D’Allesandro, a prominent and influential New Hampshire Democrat.
These visits come in the wake of a successful summer book tour, where you toured the country and met with adoring fans at countless book signing events.
Ready for Hillary, a political action committee that was created in anticipation of your potential run for president, has established a grass-roots network in several key states and mobilized an army of Democratic operatives and field workers to bolster your candidacy, should you choose to run.
Aside from your impressive lead over your fellow Democrats who are contemplating presidential runs, you also appear to be well positioned to beat any of the Republicans whose names are being bantered about. At this juncture, it appears that Senators Rand Paul, Marco Rubio, and Ted Cruz, Rep. Paul Ryan, former Governors Mike Huckabee and Jeb Bush, and Governors Chris Christie, Bobby Jindal, and Scott Walker would all have an uphill battle against you in the 2016 general election.
Hillary, you are in a good place. Momentum is on your side and the ball is in your court. So what are you waiting for? You have said that you won’t decide until early next year whether or not to run. Why keep us in suspense?
We learned earlier this week that you became a grandmother for the first time. Don’t you want to ensure that your granddaughter will grow up in a time when we have our first female president? Can’t you just imagine how much fun it would be to have to child-proof the White House for baby Charlotte? If you decide to run and ultimately emerge victorious, you will have the distinct pleasure of having taught your granddaughter (and millions of other American women) the valuable age-old lesson that anything is possible in life.
Let’s cut to the chase. After decades of being front and center on the world stage, it is hard to let go and cede the limelight to someone else. I certainly get it, and I don’t blame you for trying to hold on as long as you can while being noncommittal at the same time. However, in my estimation, you appear to have the “itch.” You may be taking your time deliberating on what is undoubtedly a monumental decision for you and your family, but I believe that deep down you have another run in you.
So, instead of playing the obligatory “wait and see game” that appears to be an integral part of the conventional political playbook, I would love to see you throw caution to the wind and just go for it. Don’t delay the inevitable any longer. Announce that you’re running for president and then you can finally get down to business. America is waiting. It’s time to find out if America is ready for Hillary.
N. Aaron Troodler is an attorney and principal of Paul Revere Public Relations, a public relations and political consulting firm. Visit him on the Web at TroodlersTake.blogspot.com, www.PaulReverePR.com, or www.JewishWorldPR.com. You can also follow him on Twitter: @troodler
WAITING ON HILLARY
By: N. Aaron Troodler, Esq.
An open letter to Hillary Clinton
Dear Hillary,
You must have the weight of the world on your shoulders. All eyes are upon you at all times, and political reporters, pundits, and the public hang on your every word. The incredible scrutiny that you now endure undoubtedly rivals the spotlight that was shined upon you when you were the First Lady of the United States. The intense analysis that ensues anytime you make a statement is comparable to the attention that you garnered when you served as Secretary of State or as a member of the United States Senate. You are bearing what appears to be a crushing burden.
In the scheme of things, it is not the least bit surprising. In my estimation, the chaos will continue for quite some time. The question is, for how long. And that is up to you.
The question on everyone’s mind is will she, or won’t she? Will she take the plunge and jump into the 2016 presidential race? Or, will she take a pass and forego the presidential sweepstakes?
On your end, you have been extremely coy about your intentions thus far. At times, you act like a person who is methodically laying the groundwork for a White House run. Yet, at other times, you display an apparent indifference to the entire process.
Yes, you are only one individual. But you are just any person – you are Hillary Clinton. And for that sole reason, your plans vis-a-vis this race are the only thing that matters to people.
Other potential Democratic presidential candidates are hanging back before they openly declare their intentions pending your decision. If you decide to run, you instantly become the frontrunner. If you choose not to run, the field suddenly becomes wide open for all of the other Democratic presidential hopefuls.
You are obviously closely monitoring the early 2016 polls, which show you with a commanding lead over your potential competitors. You must know that a recent CNN poll found that 53% of registered Democratic voters in Iowa would cast their vote for you in 2016. To put that in perspective, Vice President Joe Biden was a very distant second with 15% and Senator Elizabeth Warren registered just 7%.
Speaking of Iowa, you just made a high-profile return to the state that holds the first presidential caucus of the presidential season. The last time you were there, which was during the 2008 presidential campaign, you suffered a stinging defeat to the man who would ultimately go on to become the next President of the United States.
But that was ancient history. Your triumphant return to Iowa several weeks ago for Senator Tom Harkin’s famous steak fry fundraiser furthered the speculation about your presidential intentions. After telling the crowd, “I’m back!” you wowed them with your charisma and your command of the issues. You even acknowledged to the crowd that you are “thinking about” running for president.
Fresh off of your big appearance in Iowa, we discovered that you are heading up to New Hampshire, another critical state in the 2016 presidential contest, to be the featured guest at a fundraiser for State Senator Lou D’Allesandro, a prominent and influential New Hampshire Democrat.
These visits come in the wake of a successful summer book tour, where you toured the country and met with adoring fans at countless book signing events.
Ready for Hillary, a political action committee that was created in anticipation of your potential run for president, has established a grass-roots network in several key states and mobilized an army of Democratic operatives and field workers to bolster your candidacy, should you choose to run.
Aside from your impressive lead over your fellow Democrats who are contemplating presidential runs, you also appear to be well positioned to beat any of the Republicans whose names are being bantered about. At this juncture, it appears that Senators Rand Paul, Marco Rubio, and Ted Cruz, Rep. Paul Ryan, former Governors Mike Huckabee and Jeb Bush, and Governors Chris Christie, Bobby Jindal, and Scott Walker would all have an uphill battle against you in the 2016 general election.
Hillary, you are in a good place. Momentum is on your side and the ball is in your court. So what are you waiting for? You have said that you won’t decide until early next year whether or not to run. Why keep us in suspense?
We learned earlier this week that you became a grandmother for the first time. Don’t you want to ensure that your granddaughter will grow up in a time when we have our first female president? Can’t you just imagine how much fun it would be to have to child-proof the White House for baby Charlotte? If you decide to run and ultimately emerge victorious, you will have the distinct pleasure of having taught your granddaughter (and millions of other American women) the valuable age-old lesson that anything is possible in life.
Let’s cut to the chase. After decades of being front and center on the world stage, it is hard to let go and cede the limelight to someone else. I certainly get it, and I don’t blame you for trying to hold on as long as you can while being noncommittal at the same time. However, in my estimation, you appear to have the “itch.” You may be taking your time deliberating on what is undoubtedly a monumental decision for you and your family, but I believe that deep down you have another run in you.
So, instead of playing the obligatory “wait and see game” that appears to be an integral part of the conventional political playbook, I would love to see you throw caution to the wind and just go for it. Don’t delay the inevitable any longer. Announce that you’re running for president and then you can finally get down to business. America is waiting. It’s time to find out if America is ready for Hillary.
N. Aaron Troodler is an attorney and principal of Paul Revere Public Relations, a public relations and political consulting firm. Visit him on the Web at TroodlersTake.blogspot.com, www.PaulReverePR.com, or www.JewishWorldPR.com. You can also follow him on Twitter: @troodler
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