Today, outside the United Nations, in Dag Hammarskjold Plaza the Orthodox community was well represented throughout the protest against Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s presence here in the US. Overall, many influential people in attendance including City Council members and Members of Congress who also spoke out against President of Iran.

From the Orthodox community there were many OU member rabbis including OU Kashrut’s own Rabbi Menachem Genack, Englewood’s Rabbi Shmuel Goldin, Los Angeles’s Rabbi Steve Weil, Washington Heights Rabbi Ellis Bloch, Mt Kisco’s Rabbi Aaron Goldscheider, Nashville’s Rabbi Saul Strosberg, Lincoln Square’s Rabbi Shaul Robinson and Rabbi Shalom Morris, Schenectady’s Rabbi Moshe Mirsky and Mt. Vernons’s Rabbi Gedalia Berger. There was also many Orthodox day schools represented which included SAR, Flatbush, MTA, MAYHS, Hillel, HAFTR, and HALB.

See below notable quotes from the protest from different leaders in attendance that spoke from the podium:

“[There is n] Never a reason to give a hatemonger an open stage” – Christine Quinn (D), City Council Speaker

“We are here to deny the denier any legitimacy and we rejoice in Israel’s existence.” – Bob Menendez, US Senator (D-NJ)

“We’ve said never again but we should mean it.” – Jerry Nadler, US Representative (D-NY-8)

“Freedom of speech — you can’t prevent someone from inviting him, but that doesn’t mean people should be stupid enough to actually invite him.”- Jerry Nadler, US Representative (D-NY-8)

“He may be the President of Iran but he’s a common terrorist.”- Bill Thompson (D), New York City Comptroller

“He shouldn’t be welcome- he should be arrested for terrorism….United Nations discredits itself and so does Columbia University.” -Elliot Engel, US Representative (D-NY-17)

“He should go to school. Not to lecture but to learn.” -Israel’s Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni