Presidential candidate and former Mayor of New York City Rudy Giuliani recently visited our community to personally inform us about his political views, and to reaffirm his dedication and commitment to Israel.

This historic event was held at Ohel David and was hosted by William Barthman owner Jerry Natkin who welcomed everyone and thanked Manny Haber, Donald Hecht, Alan Maleh, Morris A. Dweck, Neil Natkin, Ed Safdieh, Ike Chehebar, Jerry Harary and Mal Cohen for their help. The delicious food was prepared by Ouri’s Catering.

It was good to hear Mr. Giuliani talk about things that are so important to us, like Israel's right to exist and school choice. When Mr. Giuliani arrived a little later than expected, Rabbi Mansour joked that he was running on SY time. Upon arrival, Mr. Giuliani, who is very charismatic, said that he was honored to be running for president and promised that if he were elected, he'd take an offensive stance against Islamic terrorism. He stressed the need for a strong army and stated that he'd be a president with determination and strength, using pressure to make the world recognize Israel's right to exist. He said that “leadership is about finding solutions,” and he let us know what his solutions to America's problems are.

He promised to end illegal immigration and to secure our borders. “Real immigration reform,” he said, “must put security first, because border security and homeland security are inseparable in the Terrorists' War on us. The responsibility of the federal government is to protect our citizens by controlling America's borders, while ending illegal immigration and identifying every non-citizen in our nation. We must restore integrity, accountability and the rule of law to our immigration system to regain the faith of the American people.”

Mr. Giuliani has always been very vocal in his support of Israel. When it comes to foreign policy, he had this to say, “The problem [in the Palestinian-controlled territories] is not the lack of statehood but corrupt and unaccountable governance. The Palestinian people need decent governance first, as a prerequisite for statehood. Too much emphasis has been placed on brokering negotiations between the Israelis and the Palestinians—negotiations that bring up the same issues again and again. It is not in the interest of the United States, at a time when it is being threatened by Islamist terrorists, to assist in the creation of another state that will support terrorism. Palestinian statehood will have to be earned through sustained good governance, a clear commitment to fighting terrorism, and a willingness to live in peace with Israel. America's commitment to Israel's security is a permanent feature of our foreign policy.”

The audience was captivated.

Next, Mr. Giuliani spoke about something that is on the minds of many in our community–school choice. With the price of yeshivah tuition outrageously high, this is a huge issue. Mr. Giuliani promised to establish a competitive grant process to fund new voucher programs for disadvantaged students—similar to the programs in Cleveland, Milwaukee and Washington, DC—and he stated that he's committed to the expansion of charter schooling, equitable treatment for charter schools in funding and facilities, and efforts to ensure that local districts are not the sole chartering authorities. He also said that he would give extra incentives to states that adopt a voucher program.

Another important issue is the high price of gasoline. Mr. Giuliani stated that he would like to see the US get away from being dependent on Arab countries for oil by diversifying our energy portfolio. “Every potential solution must be pursued—from nuclear power to increased energy exploration to more aggressive investment in alternative energy sources,” he said. “I believe that America can achieve energy independence through a national strategy that emphasizes diversification, innovation and conservation.” He went on to say that America will use bio-fuels to help displace foreign oil use by our vehicles. Renewable sources of electricity, including solar, wind, hydroelectric and geothermal power, will play an important role in our move to energy independence.

And we must expand environmentally responsible access to the proven oil and natural gas reserves throughout North America, Canada and Mexico.

He said that we need new oil refineries, nuclear reactors, transmission lines and renewable energy facilities. Expanding our infrastructure and diversifying its geographic location directly impacts national security, economic stability, and job creation.

America's government, corporations and individuals must engage in efficiency and conservation efforts that reduce the demand for oil, without damaging America's competitiveness worldwide or our standard of living. We need to use more energy efficient technologies and take personal responsibility for conserving energy. Every gallon of gas and any electricity we do not use is energy we do not import and pollution we reduce.

In addition, the Giuliani administration will track key energy indicators to measure our progress toward energy independence. This data will be online so the public can track their progress and hold the government accountable.

Yet another huge issue that he spoke about is America's healthcare system. “America is at a crossroads when it comes to our healthcare,” he began. “All Americans want to increase the quality and affordability of healthcare. Most Republicans believe in free-market solutions to the challenges we face. I believe we can reduce costs and improve the quality of care by increasing competition. We can do it through tax cuts, not tax hikes. We can do it by empowering patients and their doctors, not government bureaucrats. That's the American way to reform healthcare.”

On other issues, Mr. Giuliani pledged to increase adoptions, decrease abortions and protect the quality of life for our children. He said that he would ensure that every community in America is prepared for terrorist attacks and natural disasters and he would expand America's involvement in the global economy and strengthen our reputation around the world.

“America is at its best when we serve as a shining city on a hill, a beacon of freedom and opportunity to people around the world. Our success in this new century depends on reinvigorating our historic mission with determined leadership that gives hardworking American families confidence that their future will be better than their past. In the process, we can strengthen our national security and economic security, while building a more peaceful and prosperous world.”

By the end of the night, it was clear that Mr. Giuliani had a roomful of supporters. He is truly a man of principles and vision.