MAYOR BLOOMBERG WELCOMES ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER NETANYAHU TO GRACIE MANSION
The following are Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg's remarks as delivered at Gracie Mansion on September 27, 2012:
"Well good afternoon everyone. It is an honor to welcome Prime Minister Netanyahu to Gracie Mansion - especially the day after Yom Kippur.
"As all of you I'm sure know, there has always been a special bond between our city and Israel. Like Israel, New York City's history has been defined by immigrants who come in search of freedom and the opportunity to build a better life. And like Israel, New York City has remained a target for terrorists who seek to destroy that freedom.
"In the wake of the 9/11 attacks, the people of Israel stood with us in solidarity, knowing that terrorists are only victorious if they frighten people into giving up their beliefs, their values and their way of life.
"That will never happen in Israel, and it will never happen in the United States.
"I thought President Obama gave an excellent speech in the U. N., and he was absolutely right to say that Iran must not be allowed to obtain nuclear weapons. The U. S. and Israel are in complete agreement on that. And I think that Prime Minister Netanyahu made a very compelling case today why a clear red line is needed, and why that will help preserve peace.
"And I am sure that the U. S. and Israel can work out a common policy in the interests of both nations and in the interests of peace.
"The fact is, the most painful and tragic lesson of the 20th century was that regimes based on racial superiority and religious hatred can't be trusted to keep their word to the international community.
"When we say 'Never again,' we must mean it. And that requires us to draw certain lines before we reach the point of no return so that we don't wake up one day and realize that it is too late.
"Millions of Americans have contributed to building a stronger Israel; I've been proud to be one of them. Last year, I went to Jerusalem to help dedicate in my father's name a new MDA medical facility which treats people of all faiths and all nationalities absolutely equally.
"And on that trip, I did have the pleasure again of visiting with Prime Minister Netanyahu, and his wife who's with us today, and I'm honored to have the chance to host both of them here again at Gracie Mansion.
"Mr. Prime Minister, would you like to say a few words?"