(Photo: Getty)

Ever since Brooklyn College's political science department made the controversial decision to co-sponsor a forum promoting BDS--boycott, divestment and sanctions against Israel--New York City's elected officials have thoroughly condemned them and even hinted that the publicly-funded institution could suffer financial consequences as a result. At a press conference today on Hurricane Sandy relief, however, Mayor Michael Bloomberg passionately defended the university's right to sponsor the event.

"I couldn't disagree more violently with BDS," Mr. Bloomberg explained. "As you know, I'm a big supporter of Israel--as big of a one as I think you can find in the city. But I could also not agree more strongly with an academic department's right to sponsor a forum on any topic that they choose. If you want to go to a university where the government decides what kind of subjects are fit for discussion, I suggest you apply to a school in North Korea."

Mr. Bloomberg further argued that any funding decision made based on this controversy would set a dangerous precedent, ultimately leading to the destruction of the public university system.

"The last thing we need is for members of our City Council or State Legislature to be micromanaging the kinds of programs that our public universities run and base funding decisions on the political views of professors. I can't think of anything that would be more destructive to a university and its students," he said. "The freedom to discuss ideas--including ideas that people find repugnant--lies really at the heart of the university system. Take that away and the higher education in this country would certainly die."

Clearly on an argumentative roll, Mr. Bloomberg last claimed the pro-Israel advocates had actually undermined their own cause by giving so much attention to the forum.

"If you want to promote views that you find abhorrent, this is exactly the way to do it. What the protesters have done is given a lot of attention to the very idea they keep saying they don't want people to talk about!" he exclaimed. "They just don't think before they open their mouths. The best way to popularize an idea or book or a movie is just to get someone to ban it. All you have to do is take a look at the history of communism and see that. ... If they just shut up, it would have gone away! It would be a bunch of kids on a campus. Nobody would have gone to listen to them and nobody [would have] seen it. Now they've created the very monster that they say they're opposed to."

Ed Koch standing in his Midtown office on January 18. (Photo: Emily Anne Epstein)

Former New York City Mayor Ed Koch died earlier this morning at the age of 88 after being hospitalized for congestive heart disease. Mr. Koch served as the 105th Mayor of New York City for three terms from 1978 until 1989. With a larger-than-life personality, Mr. Koch relished a position that allowed him to become something of a national ambassador for New York City.

Though critics accused Mr. Koch of worsening racial tensions in the city and not doing enough to fight the AIDS crisis that was particularly devastating to the gay community, Mr. Koch was fiercely proud of  his legacy, specifically, what he saw as his efforts to save New York from the financial crisis of the late 1970's, his vast expansion of public housing and programs and efforts he saw as bringing a more meritocratic approach to local government. Politicker conducted one of the final interviews with Mr. Koch on January 17, just two weeks before his death, and he characterized his administration as paving the way for his successors.

"I'm proud of what I did," he said. "I also believe that both Giuliani and, particularly, Mike Bloomberg have made tremendous contributions to this city. ... And I look upon what I did as laying the groundwork and the foundation on which they could build, and without what I did, they couldn't have done what they did. So, I'm proud of my contributions."

In his later years, Mr. Koch remained involved in politics and, as he was throughout his time in office, engaged with the press. He penned movie reviews online, wrote books and newspaper columns, endorsed in many local and national elections up until his death and served on a panel of political "Wise Guys" on NY1's nightly political program Inside City Hall. Today, a documentary about his life, Koch, premieres in theaters. When we spoke with Mr. Koch last month, we joked with him that, with his memoirs once turned into a musical and, his appearances in television, books, the web and, now, the film, he was something of a mayoral "king of all media." Mr. Koch clearly enjoyed the suggestion.

"I never thought of it that way, but you could say that," he said with a laugh and huge grin.

Mr. Koch got his start in politics in 1963 as a district leader by defeating Carmine DeSapio, the last boss of the notorious Tammany Hall political machine that dominated city politics from the late 18th century until the 1960's. He went on to serve in the City Council and for four terms in the House of Representatives.

(Photo: Emily Anne Epstein)

In his later years, Mr. Koch became something of a mayor emeritus, a man whose face and name were once almost synonymous with the five boroughs and allowed him to enjoy continued life in the public eye until his final days. One of his proudest moments came in March 2011 when the Queensboro Bridge was renamed in his honor--a move that was not without opposition in City Hall. The new documentary about his life features many scenes in which Mr. Koch seems to have almost paternal feelings about the city, including one in which, while driving past the bridge he lovingly refers to it as "my bridge." We asked him whether it would be accurate to say, as a mayor in winter, it would be accurate to describe him as feeling "protective" of the city he once ruled. He laughed and pointed to another scene in the film.

"You know, the film opens with me coming back from Washington when I was a congressman and I say as I look out the plane window, 'And this all belongs to me.' It's a very exciting moment and it happened every time I rode either way and came back at night," he said. "So do I feel something very special about the city? Of course."

Mr. Koch became mayor after the 1977 election, a campaign in which he was decidedly an underdog. As a bachelor and a man with a shrill voice that consultants and vocal coaches urged him to correct, Mr. Koch was in many ways an improbable choice for the city. However, by emphasizing a desire to restore order after the riots that followed the 1977 blackouts and a bombastic, combative approach to campaigning, he was able to earn a victory.

"The very fact that I became mayor in 1977 conveys how you can't figure out what the people will do," he told us.  "Nobody thought I would be elected. When I entered I got four percent of the vote in the first poll, four percent."

Throughout that first election and his administration Mr. Koch was known for rather gleefully sparring with his opponents and the reporters who covered him. He seemed to enjoy bringing what he agreed was a "New York attitude" to governance.

"I was not afraid of the press or the militants," he said. "It was uncomfortable, but I was not afraid. With respect to the press, I knew I knew more than they knew about city matters. With respect to the militants, I understood it. I mean, everybody believed in those days that they were being screwed, you know, that somebody was getting ahead of them."

Mr. Koch said his love of political sparring was cemented during an incident during his mayoralty where he confronted opponents on a picket line in his inimitable style and best-known catchphrase.

"There was this huge picket line of the union people with signs saying, 'Koch must go, Koch must go,' and they're yelling, just really angry," said Mr. Koch. "As I walked through the line to get to the entrance there were two women, one white, one black, and they were yelling, 'Koch must go! Koch must go!' And I couldn't help myself, so I turned to them and I said, 'How'm I doing?' Honest to god, they both said, 'You're doing wonderful, wonderful.' And then, as I walked further, then it began again, 'Koch must go!' So, it was at that moment that I realized that 75 percent of all the attacks are simply theatrics, drama, fun in a way. And it reduced the pain."

His critics felt he ignored their concerns, particularly as AIDS ravaged the city, when he shut a hospital that was beloved by the black community in Harlem and when he appointed a longtime associate with questionable credentials to head the Health and Hospitals Corporation in the mid-1980's. However, Mr. Koch argued he simply couldn't keep all New York's diverse constituencies happy while doing an honest job overseeing the five boroughs and fiercely defended his efforts to "run the most merit-situated government that we've ever had." Particularly, he viewed reforms he brought to the city's judicial system as one of his signature achievements.

"I'm very proud of--I changed the judicial system so that I no longer searched for candidates and fulfilled political obligations, which prior mayors had done using the appointments--the mayor appoints criminal court and family court judges," Mr. Koch said. "I created a committee in which the judicial agencies ... had as many delegates on there ... as I did. And then, in addition, we took the deans of three law schools and they were given the responsibility of finding candidates for each vacancy."

His system endured beyond his term although Mr. Koch notes one of his successors, Rudy Giuliani, "kept the system, but violated it." Mr. Koch and Mr. Giuliani's relationship varied wildly over the years. In 1989, when Mr. Giuliani first ran for mayor Mr. Koch supported David Dinkins. As a Jew, Mr. Koch's support was instrumental in helping Mr. Dinkins become the city's first African-American mayor at a time when tensions between Jews and blacks ran high. Mr. Koch had previously inflamed this rivalry when he attacked African-American presidential candidate Jesse Jackson for referring to New York as "Hymietown." After four years, Mr. Koch backed Mr. Giuliani in his successful effort to unseat Mr. Dinkins.

"When David had a terrible single term with Crown Heights as his legacy--nice man, but unsuccessful mayor--I then supported Giuliani against David," explained Mr. Koch.

In his former role as U.S. Attorney, Mr. Giuliani prosecuted many officials involved in corruption scandals that were seen as stopping his effort to run against Mr. Dinkins and secure a fourth term. In the end, Mr. Koch noted he was never directly implicated in the scandals.

"If Giuliani thought I was corrupt, you could have been sure he would have gone after me. You know, they always were after what they referred to as the 'big fish' and the danger in all these things is that the people they go after will lie and say, 'No, no it was the mayor,' in order to be able to get out from under," said Mr. Koch. "You had a U.S. Attorney who was very competent and who, ultimately, wanted to be mayor, so he was going to certainly try to destroy the then current mayor and he didn't."

Despite his eventual support for Mr. Giuliani, Mr. Koch became an opponent of his administration and began harshly criticizing him in a series of late 1990's Daily News columns. He eventually compiled the columns into a bluntly-titled book, Giuliani: Nasty Man, that he republished when Mr. Giuliani  attempted to run for president in 2007. However, in the end, Mr. Koch referred to Mr. Giuliani as simply, "a good mayor."

(Emily Anne Epstein)

Before his death, Mr. Koch had already made his endorsement in the next mayoral election and, even the upcoming 2016 presidential campaign, clear. For him, one of the most important national issues is the country's relationship with Israel. He described his backing of Israel as stemming from a desire to see his fellow Jews protected.

"I'm an American, this country's given me everything. I love this country. My support of Israel is, in part, similar to the support of a Polish-American who loves the fact that Poland stood up to the Russians," Mr. Koch said. "That is not due loyalty, which is often charged falsely, it is that I know that every night there is some Jewish community in the world that's under attack by the people in the same country in which they're citizens and the government's not protecting them. ... It's so important that there be a secure Israel that can accept them and give them sanctuary. It's happened before, it'll happen again. Regrettably, Israel didn't exist when the Nazis were in power, because Hitler offered to let the German Jews go if there was a country that would take them. No country would take them."

Mr. Koch also framed his support for Israel in terms of its importance to American security.

"Israel is the only Democratic state [in the Middle East] it's the only one we can rely on," said Mr. Koch. "You look at the Islamic states and what is their goal? The destruction of western civilization."

One of the items that was on display in Mr. Koch's Midtown office up until his death was a framed photo showing him on a visit to Jerusalem being hit with a rock thrown by Palestinian protesters. The picture was accompanied by a letter from former Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir thanking Mr. Koch for being the "first eminent American to be standing in the Old City." Mr. Koch said he received nine stitches after being wounded by the rock.

"If it had hit my eye, it would have taken my eye out," he said. "That's why I have such a low opinion of Tom Friedman, because he urged the third Intifada. He told the Arabs to throw stones."

Mr. Koch's views on Israel largely defined his relationship with President Barack Obama. Though he endorsed President Obama in 2008, he later backed Republican Bob Turner in his 2011 congressional campaign in a rebuke of the Obama administration's stance on Israel. Though Mr. Koch and Mr. Obama later reached a rapprochement, the former mayor said he's still worried about how President Obama will handle the situation in the Middle East.

"He has a philosophy which is different than mine and his philosophy is that somehow or other, he is the guy who can bring the Islamic states together with the United States and western civilization," said Mr. Koch. "I think he's dead wrong and, in order to do so, I believe he concluded earlier that that means lessening the ties with Israel. And then, as the result of the response from people like me, he decided he would change on that. How long that change lasts, I don't know. People generally, in deeply held philosophical positions, ultimately revert to them in time."

Though Mr. Koch was more than comfortable in the public eye, he was never comfortable discussing his personal life. After a lifetime as a bachelor, he faced persistent rumors he was gay that added to the anger directed at him during the AIDS crisis. Though Mr. Koch thought the documentary about his life depicted him as a "lonely" man. It also showed scenes of him with the family who surrounded him at his death.

"I wanted the world to see my family and my sister's grandchildren in particular, who I adore," said Mr. Koch pointing to a group of framed photos displayed prominently at the front of his desk in Midtown. "There are seven of them. They're all there."

As a man who led New York City for twelve years and remained relevant for decades after, one would think Mr. Koch might have left the world with some words of wisdom to pass on to his successor Mayor Michael Bloomberg about how to confront the post-mayoral period he will begin next year. However, Mr. Koch told us he had no advice for Mr. Bloomberg about the next chapter in his life.

"We have never talked about it and he doesn't need any advice from me," Mr. Koch said. "With $20 billion, you can buy the services of people who are much smarter than I am to provide the advice on this issue. So I could well understand why he doesnt need any advice from me."

"Shames on Brooklyn College Support of Jew-Hatred"

The Israel-Palestine conflict once again reached New York's political scene today as elected officials and other activists gathered to denounce Brooklyn College's political science department for their controversial decision to sponsor a February forum calling for boycotts, divestment and sanctions against Israel.  To say the press conference was heated would be an understatement as it was chocked full of charged rhetoric including multiple references to anti-Semitism, the Holocaust and al-Qaeda.

"Let me tell you, it brings back a lot of memories," Assemblyman Dov Hikind, the emcee of today's denunciation, began. "I studied here towards my B.A. and got my Master's at Brooklyn College, a lot of very fond memories. I stand here very, very disappointed, ... students and the organization [are] holding a lecture next week with two viciously, viciously, anti-Israel [speakers]. And when I say 'viciously,' I mean they call for the destruction of the state of Israel. They think Hamas and Hezbollah are good organizations. I would assume they feel the same way about al-Qaeda. These are individuals who are extreme radicals."

Mr. Hikind and his fellow elected officials were not calling for the forum itself to be canceled, however. Their issue was the school, which is part of the publicly-funded City University of New York system, sponsoring the event. Though college representatives have denied the school's sponsorship indicates an endorsement of the forum's views, that argument was not accepted by the various officials at today's rally.

Councilman David Greenfield, labeling the forum as part of a "hate-filled, antisemitic, pro-terrorist movement," even brought out his dictionary to counter the college's defense of the forum.

"This is the United States of America, if you want to be a racist, if you want to be an anti-Semite and even if you want to speak out in favor of terrorism, we respect that you have the right to do that. Of course, you're wrong, but you have the right to do that and should have the right to do that on a college campus," Mr. Greenfield explained. "The problem is--and this is what's oh-so-very-offensive to me--is when the administration turns around and says, 'Well, we're not endorsing these views, we're simply sponsoring the event.' I mean, it's a little bit shocking, honestly. ... The word 'sponsorship' according to the dictionary means 'one who who vouches or is responsible for another thing.' So it really is intellectually dishonest."

Others at the event invoked Nazi Germany and the Klan as they attacked Brooklyn College for its sponsorship of the forum.

"As a child of Holocaust survivors, I will not remain silent," Assemblyman Steve Cymbrowitz declared.

"If David Duke were here, I'm sure President Gould would be outside protesting as well. This is not just an academic exercise on the part of the political science trying to teach some political science," Assemblyman Alan Maisel added. "The destruction of Israel has real consequences. That would mean that the millions of people living in Israel would not have a state. It means that it would be open house on all of the people who live there. We are talking about the potential of a second Holocaust."

Today's event also drew a leading mayoral candidate, former Comptroller Bill Thompson, who described the upcoming event at the college as a "forum of hate."

"We all stand here in support of free speech. We believe in being able to express your opinion. We believe in students being able to express their opinions. We believe in different points of view," Mr. Thompson announced. "It's what makes this country so great. You can express your opinion. So let me express an opinion against that. This organization is one that expresses hate, that expresses opposition to Israel. I have the right to stand here, and oppose that organization. ... You have the right to express an opinion just like we do. But you do not have have a right, and should not put, the name of Brooklyn College, the name of the political science department, on that forum of hate."

Speaking on behalf of the school about today's press conference, Brooklyn College spokesman Jeremy Thompson dismissed the controversy over the forum as simply different groups expressing opposing views.

"As far as the press conference being held, my only comment is, just like we stand behind our students and faculty who have a right to present views and discuss topics they see as important, so do the assemblymen," Mr. Thompson told Politicker when reached for comment. "They are well within their right to voice their views, just as everyone in our college community is."

Despite all of the angry rhetoric, Mr. Hikind wrapped up the event by suggesting the officials in attendance could have been much harsher in their condemnation of Brooklyn College.

"You've heard the calmest presentation today [from] people who care deeply about Israel. They're not calling here to cancel the event. That's not what they're saying! Boy! How calm and reasonable is that?" the assemblyman exclaimed as he made his final points. "It should not be sponsored by the university itself because that means my dollars are paying for that event and I'm not interested in paying for hate. ... They're giving the seal of approval, they're making it kosher. It's not a kosher event."

Additional reporting by Ross Barkan.

"President Barack Obama's unprecedented pro-Israel credentials are unquestionable, and setting policy starts and stops with the President," the NJDC said in a statement this morning. "While we have expressed concerns in the past, we trust that when confirmed, former Senator Chuck Hagel will follow the President's lead of providing unrivaled support for Israel -- on strategic cooperation, missile defense programs, and leading the world against Iran's nuclear program."

That statement is a sharp 180-degree turn from the NJDC's past comments on Mr. Hagel.

After twelve years in the Senate, Mr. Hagel was tapped by President Obama to be chairman of the President's Intelligence Advisory Board in 2009. At the time, NJDC Executive Director Ira Forman told the Weekly Standard they would fight if Mr. Hagel was ever nominated for a position with more authority.

“If [Hagel] was taking a policy role, we’d have real concerns,” Mr. Forman said.

The NJDC was also sharply critical of Mr. Hagel's positions on Israel throughout his time as a Republican in the Senate. In 2009, an editorial on the NJDC website referred to Mr. Hagel as a member of "the anti-Israel right." Two years earlier, when Mr. Hagel was reportedly considering an entry into the 2008 presidential elections, the NJDC published a lengthy assessment of his "questionable Israel record." That article has since been deleted.

One of the items on the NJDC's critical assessment of Mr. Hagel was the fact he was one of 12 Senators who did not sign a letter in August 2006 demanding the European Union dub Hezbollah a terrorist organization. At that time, the NJDC published a standalone statement slamming the Senators, 10 of whom were Republicans.

"Shame on them," Mr. Forman said.

What a difference a few years (and a partisan appointment) makes.

Rep. Charlie Rangel smiles as the press conference's attendees gather.

This morning, a small army of elected officials and Jewish advocates amassed on Second Avenue, not far from the United Nations, to press their case that Israel is completely justified in its forceful reaction to the rocket attacks against it. In New York City, of course, support for Israel is an almost universally acknowledged political principle with very few deviations. Indeed, so many elected officials crowded together that they had trouble squeezing into the allotted area.

Naturally, all four of the likely Democratic candidates for mayor were present and more than eager to burnish their foreign policy credentials in light of the burgeoning international controversy. In order to profess their unyielding belief in the righteousness of Israel's military response in Gaza, each pol described personally visiting the Jewish State, three of them to the exact same small town. We decided to simply transcribe their remarks in the order that they spoke.

Comptroller John Liu:

"I think we all hope and pray that peace can be found between Israel and Palestine. I thank the president for engaging in this and wish our Secretary of State Hillary Clinton the best in resolving this matter before it gets any worse. It was just a couple years ago that I had the chance to visit Israel, and among many sites, to spend some time in S'derot. To see the heaps of the remains of rockets that had been launched into that small town. To see where children have to go to school nearby the closest bunker where they are taught that they have seconds to run into those bunkers as soon as they hear those sirens go off. To understand that those children have to live with that kind of state of mind even as they are being educated for their future, and indeed the future of Israel and the world. So as a father, it's just unimaginable that any kids, of any people of any age, have to live under those conditions. Which is precisely why Israel not only has the right, but it has the obligation, to protect its people against this kind of senseless attack and violence. Israel should do what it needs to do. It has our support here in New York City to do what it needs to do to protect its people. That is the way that it should be done and we stand fully in support of Israel's right to defend itself. Long live Israel! Am Yisrael Chai!"

Council Speaker Christine Quinn:

"New York is Israel and Israel is New York. We are bound together as brothers and sisters in our struggle to be free of terror, to be free of being targets, to live in the way we want to live, to practice our lives and our religion in the way that we want to. The issue of Israel becomes complicated at times in the international community and I simply do not understand that. To me it is crystal clear: Israel is the only democracy in this region. Israel is the only beacon of true freedom in the Middle East and she, like every other country in the world, has the obligation to protect her citizens ... On a trip we took, we were in S'derot, and while we were visiting with the mayor, one of those sirens went off and we had those 15 seconds you hear about to get to the place in City Hall that was safest from the rocket that was coming in....Thank God it didn't kill anyone but this is a town that on a regular basis is hit by these rockets. And on far too many days, we aren't as lucky as that day that we were there in that city hall. I've been through this experience once ... Think of what that's like on a regular basis. Think about what that's like for a child. We're here today with a clear message: Israel must protect herself. The international community must rally behind that right of Israel, because without Israel protecting herself, there will never, ever be peace. So, on behalf of all New Yorkers, we stand in the strongest solidarity possible with the people of Israel, who have always stood with us in our darkest hours, and we will never, ever walk away from them."

Public Advocate Bill de Blasio:

"It's this simple: Israel has the right to defend itself. Israel is our closest ally. This is not even grey, it's abundantly clear. I've been to S'derot, I've been to places in Israel that have had rockets raining down on them for years. And they've had to live an unacceptable life. They've had to live with the fear that at any moment, their homes, their schools, their businesses could be attacked. I went to the child play center in S'derot, which is literally built as a bombproof building because it is the only way that children in that community in southern Israel could know that they'd be safe during daytime hours and live any modicum of a normal life. No nation would put up with that. No nation should have to put up with that. Israel must do what it must do to protect itself. We will stand with Israel every step of the way. We hope and pray that somehow peace can be regained here at this moment, but the only way that will happen is if we stand in total solidarity with Israel and Hamas understands that we will be shoulder-to-shoulder every step of thew way."

2009 Nominee Bill Thompson:

"The faces that you've seen at this podium are many different faces, from different backgrounds. But we all have one thing in common: Yes, we're New Yorkers, but we all stand with Israel. We stand with Israel because Israel is our friend. We stand with Israel because Israel stands for principle. We stand with Israel because, again, Israel is under attack. Time and time and time again, we've stood with Israel and the people of Israel. I was with in Israel ... the thing that I remember the most, and it was in the middle of the Intifada in 2002, young people who went about their lives day after day even though they realized--some of the young girls they talked about, when they did sleepovers, taking pictures of each other in case something happened to one, so they'd remember those who might have died. Those who got on buses and went to work each and every day while terrorists blew those buses up. Their resolve never wavered. They went and got stronger and stronger and stronger. Those of us in New York, as Israel continues to come under attack and the missiles rain down, need to continue to show them that our resolve only strengthens, that we will not waver, that our support for Israel will grow. And that more and more and more faces will stand with us, in saying, 'Never back down to terrorists.' Israel needs to be stronger each and every day. So I'm happy to stand here with so many others, as we say, 'We support and stand with Israel and will continue to do that. Forever.'"

President Barack Obama on the phone with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu today. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

President Barack Obama took some heat for not scheduling a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu while the latter leader was in the United States for the U.N. General Assembly this week. The president (sort of) addressed that criticism today by making time to meet Mr. Netanyahu (via telephone). According to a "readout" of the conversation distributed by the White House Press Office, "the two leaders discussed a range of security issues, and the President reaffirmed his and our country’s unshakeable commitment to Israel’s security."

"The two leaders underscored that they are in full agreement on the shared goal of preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. The Prime Minister welcomed President Obama’s commitment before the United Nations General Assembly to do what we must to achieve that goal," the readout said.

Both men also apparently pledged to continue their "regular consultations" on the Iranian nuclear threat in the future.

"The two leaders took note of the close cooperation and coordination between the Governments of the United States and Israel regarding the threat posed by Iran--its nuclear program, proliferation, and support for terrorism--and agreed to continue their regular consultations on this issue going forward," the readout said.

The White House also went the extra mile and distributed a photo of the president on the phone with Mr. Netanyahu.

Yesterday, in his speech before the U.N. General Assembly, Mr. Netanyahu used visual aids to express his desire the U.S. will join him in efforts to establish a "clear red line" with the Iranian government before they amass "enough enriched uranium to make a nuclear weapon."

The two leaders at Gracie Mansion.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu joined forces this afternoon on the steps of Gracie Mansion where they discussed something Israel and New York have in common--a high risk of terrorism.

"Like Israel, New York City has remained a target for terrorists who seek to destroy them," Mr. Bloomberg said. "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 to give up their beliefs, their values, their way of life. That will never happen with Israel and and it will never happen in the United States."

And although the meeting might be considered a slight to Mr. Obama's lack of making time for Mr. Netanyahu, Mr. Bloomberg specifically praised the president's "excellent speech" at the U.N. this week and gave Mr. Obama credit for taking a tougher stance with Iran.

"The fact is the most painful and tragic lessons of the 21st-Century is regimes based on racial superiority and religious hatred can't be trusted to keep their word to the international community," he said. "When we say, 'Never again,' we must mean it. It requires us to to draw certain lines before we reach the point of no return."

For his part, Mr. Netanyahu thanked Mr. Bloomberg and stressed the close relationship his country has with the United States.

"We're in close consultations with the United States about this issue: How we can practically prevent Iran from moving ahead and make them abandon their nuclear weapons program," he said. "We believe it's achievable working towards that goal."

He added, "I can think of no better place of what it means to have a free civilization and what are the potentials of a free people than here in Gracie Mansion Next to Mayor Bloomberg and all of you."

And with that, they walked inside to talk away from the reporters with cameras and audio recorders.

Mayor Bloomberg and P.M. Netanyahu meeting in Jerusalem last year. (Photo: YouTube)

Although President Barack Obama has been taking heat over the past few weeks for his apparent lack of interest in meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during this week's U.N. General Assembly in New York, Mayor Michael Bloomberg clearly isn't in the same boat.

Mr. Bloomberg is hosting a meeting with the Israeli leader at the mayoral residence, Gracie Mansion, at 3 p.m. tomorrow afternoon, according to his schedule that was released earlier this evening. Their meeting, which will be open to the press and broadcast on the city government's website, tops off a busy day for Mr. Bloomberg where he's set to make multiple speeches and meet with the Prime Minister of Thailand as well.

After President Obama was criticized for not scheduling more meetings with world leaders during the annual U.N. confab, he arranged sitdowns with Yemeni President Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi, U.N. Secretary General Ban-Ki Moon, Vuk Jeremic, president of the U.N. General Assembly. So far, his office has remained mum about whether he will add Mr. Netanyahu to his schedule as well.

While Mr. Bloomberg has declined to criticize Mr. Obama over his lack of meetings with Mr. Netanyahu, other New Yorkers have not been so shy. Notably, Brooklyn Assemblyman Dov Hikind, an Orthodox Jewish Democrat, has been particularly aggressive.

“The president has no time to meet with the Prime Minster of Israel, but he has time to do everything else,” Mr. Hikind said in a Fox News interview. “He has time, it seems Prime Minister Netanyahu is not as enticing as Whoopi Goldberg or some of the other people that the president enjoys meeting with.”

(Photo: YouTube)

Despite being a fellow Democrat, former Mayor Ed Koch was harshly critical of President Barack Obama's attitude towards Israel last year. Time and time again, Mr. Koch railed against Mr. Obama, notably using his clout to help elect Congressman Bob Turner win a Democratic-leaning district last summer in a campaign largely based on Mr. Obama's alleged lack of support for the country. After the election, however, Mr. Koch flipped and said Mr. Obama was indeed a friend of Israel declaring, "I’m now on board the Obama Re-election Express" and vowing to campaign for him in Florida. In light of the recent attacks on the U.S. embassy in Libya, however, Mr. Koch has returned to criticizing Mr. Obama's stance on Israel.

"President Obama on a number of occasions has publicly stated, 'I have Israel's back,'" Mr. Koch said in a statement this afternoon. "I don't know what that means in practice."

Mr. Koch added that he believes Mr. Obama's public statements to date are not sufficiently committed to Israel's security.

"I believe he should publicly state, as Senator Daniel Inouye of Hawaii said back in January of this year that an attack by Iran on Israel would be considered an attack on the U.S. that would elicit an immediate military response," he said.

View Mr. Koch's full press release below:

My Reaction to President Obama's Response to the Incidents in Egypt, Libya and Elsewhere

The New York Times of September 17, reported that, "[i]n Iran, the commander of the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, Gen. Mohammad Ali Jafari, took the unusual step of holding a news conference on Sunday to warn that 'nothing will remain' in Israel if it or any other nation launches attacks against his country. He said that Iran and its allies - presumably Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza - would retaliate at Israel's borders, as would Iran itself in Israel and beyond, targeting American military bases in the Persian Gulf and shutting down the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has often threatened to counter any attack, but the general's threats were unusually specific and signaled Iran's intent to turn any possible attack into a regional conflict. 'Our response to Israel is clear: I think nothing will remain of Israel,' General Jafari said, according to an account by The Associated Press. 'Given Israel's small land area and its vulnerability to a massive volume of Iran's missiles, I don't think any spot in Israel will remain safe.' General Jafari also confirmed, in what appeared to be the clearest terms so far, that some high-level advisers from his elite unit were working in Syria and Lebanon, underscoring how deeply intertwined the many conflicts in the region have become."

So now we have one of Iran's top generals joining the president of Iran in calling for the destruction of Israel. The Iranian general threatens Israel's total demise and destruction "if [Israel] or any other nation launches attacks against his country." The Iranian president's longstanding calls for Israel's destruction have always been unconditional. Israel is normally referred to by Iranian government officials as the "little Satan" and the U.S. as the "big Satan."

You can be sure that if and when Iran develops a nuclear bomb and a rocket capable of reaching the U.S., we here in the U.S. will be at risk simply because we exist. The fanatic Muslims engaged in jihad against Western civilization have as their goal the total destruction of Western civilization which they both envy and hate. Their ultimate objective is to convert the world to Islam.

There are very few Jews left in most Arab countries. In some countries, none. They were forced to flee after Israel became a state in 1948. Many Christian Arabs in Arab countries including those living under the Palestinian Authority on the West Bank, have left their homelands as a result of persecution by their Muslim countrymen. Neither Bethlehem nor Nazareth are cities with a Christian majority. The Arab Christian population of the Palestinian territories has dropped to just 2 percent. Many of those fleeing their countries have sought and found refuge in the U.S. The Coptic Christians who remain in Arab countries, approximately 10 million in Egypt, live in great fear and have suffered pogroms at the hands of their Muslim neighbors. Christians are also in danger in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan.

The recent attacks on American embassies in Egypt and Libya - including the deaths of Chris Stevens, the American Ambassador to Libya, and three other U.S. diplomatic personnel in Libya - have been followed by anti-American demonstrations in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Lebanon, Tunisia, Yemen, Sudan, Nigeria, Iraq and Iran. Why should anyone be surprised? The Arab and Muslim countries hate the U.S., even those like Egypt, Libya and Tunisia, who have recently overthrown Arab despots during the so-called "Arab Spring," with the assistance of the U.S. and other Western countries.

Those who were helped by the Western countries to overthrow their despots immediately became Islamist states threatening the U.S. In Afghanistan where we have spent billions in seeking to create a democratic government, the Afghan army and police of the government we are now supporting and defending against the Taliban are responsible for the killing of American and NATO soldiers training them. According to The New York Times of September 16, "[t]he six deaths [on Friday, September 14] brought to 51 the number of coalition service members killed this year in insider attacks. The toll has already well exceeded last year's total of 35 killed in such violence." Training the Afghan security forces is the publicly-sated reason of the U.S. as to why we are remaining until 2014. We should evacuate all of our troops from Afghanistan immediately.

We know that when the President publicly stated Egypt was not an ally, he could have said the same about Iraq, Pakistan and Afghanistan. The Muslim world believes the U.S. is not willing or able to use military action against Iran. It knows from the immediate and recent sacking of our embassies in both Egypt and Libya with the security forces in both those countries refusing to protect the American embassies, that the U.S. is not prepared or willing to punish those countries. Normally in such cases, is it unreasonable to expect our Ambassadors -- those still alive -- to be recalled? Is it unreasonable to immediately cut off as much as remains of the $2 billion annual appropriation to Egypt and whatever we are providing Libya? Is it unreasonable to prohibit Americans from going to both Egypt and Libya as tourists because of the physical danger to them? Egypt's economy depends on tourism to balance its budget.

President Obama on a number of occasions has publicly stated, "I have Israel's back." I don't know what that means in practice. I believe he should publicly state, as Senator Daniel Inouye of Hawaii said back in January of this year that an attack by Iran on Israel would be considered an attack on the U.S. that would elicit an immediate military response.

Former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates said in February 2011, "Any future defense secretary who advises the president to again send a big American land army into Asia or into the Middle East or Africa should 'have his head examined,' as General [Douglas] MacArthur so delicately put it." I agree with him, but that should not preclude our using our extraordinary airpower -- rockets, planes and drones - our Navy and our stunning Special Forces where needed.

Barack Obama and Benjamin Netanyahu last March. (Photo: Getty)

Congressman Bob Turner may be on his way out of Washington, but he is still a sharp critic of President Barack Obama's foreign policy when it comes to the Middle-East. The latest issue at hand? President Barack Obama reportedly declining to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu this month, which Mr. Turner said shows "a true lack of leadership."

“Less than a year has passed since President Obama made disparaging remarks about ‘having to deal’ with Prime Minister Netanyahu," Mr. Turner said in a statement earlier today. "His decision to turn down Prime Minister Netanyahu’s meeting request shows just how much of an inconvenience it really is for the President. If the President truly ‘has Israel’s back’ he would make it his first priority to meet with our friends."

Mr. Turner, who won an upset special election last year partially based on the electorate's discontent with Mr. Obama's handling of Israel, argued that amid increasing tension between Iran and Israel, Mr. Obama owes Mr. Netanyahu not only a meeting but a full "embrace."

"At a time when Iran is dangerously close to developing nuclear weapons and has threatened to destroy Israel, President Obama fails to embrace our staunchest ally in the area," he continued. "The President has not been to Israel since taking office and won’t even make time for Prime Minister Netanyahu when he is on our soil. His actions are concerning and show a true lack of leadership.”

For its part, the White House has argued that its schedule is simply too full to meet with Mr. Netanyahu. This explanation has not satisfied Republicans, however, and Mr. Turner is hardly the only pol to criticize Mr. Obama over the latest-dust up.

Notably, according to a pool report, the President's electoral rival Mitt Romney also took a healthy swipe at Mr. Obama while campaigning in Florida.

“I can’t ever imagine if the Prime Minister of Israel asked to meet with me, I can’t imagine ever saying no,” he said. “They’re our friends. They’re our closest allies in the Middle East.”