Bloomberg: No to forcing agreement on Israel
NYC Mayor dedicates MDA station in memory of his father. Says no one, including US should force Palestinian agreement on Israel
America should help Israel deal with the threat of terror and be there for it in its time of need, said New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg on Thursday in Jerusalem.
Bloomberg dedicated a new regional of the Jerusalem Magen David Adom emergency rescue service, which will be named for the mayor's late father, William H. Bloomberg.
In a press conference held immediately following the ceremony Bloomberg stated that no one, including the United States, should force an agreement on Israel. Israel, he said, must reach an agreement with the Palestinians on its own.
Bloomberg also said that Israel should not recognize Hamas until the organization complies with international demands and honors past accords signed by the Palestinian Authority, recognizes Israel and its right to exist and renounces terrorism.
Bloomberg added that the situation, wherein Israeli citizens are under the constant threat of rocket attacks, is unacceptable.
Bloomberg and Jerusalem Mayor Lupolianski on Thursday (Photo: Gil Yohanan)
The NYC Mayor added that it would be bad for the world is Iran became a nuclear power and said he hoped that diplomats around the world will be able to prevent that from happening.
Bloomberg noted that as the mayor of the city with the largest Jewish population in the world - and home to 200,000 Israeli citizens - he felt a strong connection to Israel.
''As Israel goes, so goes America and everyone else in the world who wants to practice our religion and be in charge of our own destiny,'' he said.
Bloomberg, 64, the billionaire founder of the Bloomberg LP financial information company, donated money for the branch, but would not disclose the exact amount.
He was accompanied in his trip to Israel by his sister, Marjorie Tiven, his daughter, Emma, and his 98-year-old mother, Charlotte.
''I think that my father would have really had a smile on his face. He knew something about taking care of others,'' Bloomberg said at the ceremony.
Bloomberg was scheduled to meet later in the day with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Acting President
Dalia Itzik. On Friday, he will tour the southern Israeli town of Sderot.
He was then scheduled to depart for Jordan for private meetings with King Abdullah II and the American ambassador.
Jerusalem Mayor Uri Lupolianski, MDA Director General Eli Bein, MDA Executive Committee Chairman Noam Yifrach and Director General of the Ministry of Health Prof. Avi Israeli were also in attendance.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
