At a closed-door meeting of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee last night, Mayor Bill de Blasio did not say the word progressive. Instead, he stuck to stressing his commitment to Israel: “There is a philosophical grounding to my belief in Israel and it is my belief, it is our obligation, to defend Israel,” he said in a speech not listed on his public schedule. “But it is also something that is elemental to being an American because there is no greater ally on earth, and that’s something we can say proudly.” A Capital New York reporter present “was escorted by event security from the third floor to the lobby.”
But they managed to get the audio:
“As mayor of New York City, I want you to know that you have a friend and an ally at City Hill, that City Hall will always be open to AIPAC,” said De Blasio. “When you need me to stand by you in Washington or anywhere, I will answer the call and I’ll answer it happily, because that’s my job.”
