The following was released by Agudath Israel on Sunday afternoon:

The Iranian President Ahmadinejad, YM”S, whose evil and danger are well known to all, will be in New York tomorrow for the opening session of the UN General Assembly. We wish to inform our constituents that there will be a “Rally to Stop Iran” tomorrow (Monday September 22) at 11:45 at Dag Hammarskjold Plaza, 2nd Avenue and 47th Street in Manhattan. Attached is the text of a flyer published by the rally’s sponsors with additional detail.

Iran’s President  Ahmadinejad is coming to the U.N.
 
*He supports terror networks around the world.
*He calls for the destruction of the US and Israel.
*He is developing nuclear weapons in defiance of the U.N.
*He jails and executes women’s rights activists, religious minorities and others in Iran.
 
Stand together and speak out against terror!
Join the Rally to Stop Iran.  Now!
Dag Hammarskjold Plaza  (across from the United Nations)
Monday, September 22nd, 2008
11:45 am, rain or shine, 2nd Avenue at 47th Street
(Subways: 4, 5, 6, or 7 to Grand Central Station)

Sponsored by the
National Coalition to Stop Iran Now, with the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, Jewish Community Relations Council of New York, United Jewish Communities, UJA-Federation of New York, Jewish Council for Public Affairs
For more information contact [email protected] or 212-318-6111
[email protected] or 212-983-4800 x 161.

Malcolm Hoenlein Tells Nachum Segal It Was Not His Decision to Disinvite Palin Sep 19, 2008 9:26 AM

The Nachum Segal Radio Show interviewed Malcolm Hoenlein, Executive Vice Chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, who called in live for the latest Weekly Update. In light of the controversy regarding this Monday’s rally at the United Nations vis a vis the attendance of Senator Hillary Clinton and Governor Sarah Palin, Nachum had Malcolm respond to an article in The New York Times and set the record straight. Malcolm explained how Senator Clinton and Governor Palin originally got involved in the rally and what transpired to result in neither attending. Malcolm Hoenlein stressed that it was not his decision to disinvite Governor Palin to Monday’s rally. Malcolm continues to emphasize the importance of taking part in the rally on Monday, September 22, and to not get sidetracked by the accompanying political goings-on, losing sight of the goal which is to stand up to terror and Iran’s President Ahmadinejad. Nachum recommended that the listeners contact Senator Clinton’s office and express their feelings for her refusing to attend the rally. Click HERE to listen.

Statement by Rambam Mesivta: 

The approximately 200 students of the Rambam Mesivta High School, accompanied by teachers, administrators and parents, plan to demonstrate against President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran during his planned speech before a number of religious organizations, including the Mennonite Central Committee, Quaker United Nations Office, Religions for Peace and World Council of Churches. Hundreds will join the demonstration which will be held on Thursday, September 25th, at 5:30 pm outside the Grand Hyatt Hotel, 109 East 42nd Street, New York, where Ahmadinejad has been invited to speak. The demonstration will also protest the religious organizations’ decision to invite and host Ahmadinejad. A number of members from the New York City Council , State Assembly and Congress will address the crowd.

Ahmadinejad has publicly called for Israel to be “wiped off the map” and has spoken wishfully of “a world without America”. He has said that “Iran is ready to transfer nuclear know-how to the Islamic countries due to their need.” Iran has also been repeatedly accused by the administration of providing training and support for various Iraqi insurgent groups who murder U.S. servicemen and Iraqi civilians. According to some news reports, Ahmadinejad was a student leader who was deeply involved in the takeover of the U.S. embassy compound in Iran and the subsequent Iran hostage crisis in November 1979.

According to Rabbi Zev Meir Friedman, the Rosh HaYeshiva (Head of School) of Rambam, “what do these organizations need to hear from Ahmadinejad that he has not already said? Moreover, the thought of religious organizations affording this man a platform for his ideas is truly obnoxious, and a betrayal by these organizations of their core religious values. How can they claim to be ‘working for a more just, equitable and peaceful world’ and speak of their ‘commitment to non-violence in thought, word and deed’ when they invite a man who calls for another country to be ‘wiped off the map’ and who sponsors the murder of US servicemen in Iraq?”

“We are appalled at the thought of religious organizations inviting this man,” says Rabbi Yotav Eliach, Rambam’s Principal. “Quakers claim to live ‘simply and truthfully’. Is it ‘truthful’ to afford a platform to a sponsor of international terrorism under the guise of ‘peace’? Is Iran truly seeking a just, equitable and peaceful world? Is that truthful?”

(YWN Desk – NYC)