Exclusive Interview with Senator Singer and Ned Thomson on War in Israel - The Lakewood Scoop

I just got off a phone call with the governor that's where our assignment with all the Jewish Community ah okay okay terrific well first of all thank you very much to both of you for joining me this morning okay so the well you know the first point that I wanted to discuss is is basically as as representative of the largest Jewish community in the state over here it looks like everyone now is coming out in support of Israel there's there are a lot of statements coming from various governmental offices Etc um is is this indicative of the real feeling in Trenton do you feel that this is maybe support which is which is a a a knee-jerk response to what's going on right now to the war and if so is there a way to make it more substantial and how do we how do we make it more substantial going forward for Israel's benefit well at this point I just as far as the legislature is concerned it it's not it's indicative of the fact that we are always standing for Israel this is not nothing nothing new I don't think it's a knee-jerk reaction it's just we have the the chance to really verbalize it and and show our support um in in a more noticeable way and more meaningful way especially with what's going on in in Industry right now Senator singer what what do do you have thoughts on that uh I don't think there's enough in in in Trenton uh I know the Govern is very supportive but many times in the legislature I don't feel there's a lot of support U for example I don't I don't appreciate the comments of the president of ruter they weren't strong enough and as you know they're having a major rally there tomorrow um we've gone to him in the past about certain things he seems not to be uh as concerned as he should be for the Jewish community and uh I don't see that support in Trenton to say uh hold him accountable to it I just mentioned on the call to the governor that his statements were not strong enough his excus is he has to allow uh uh h proam rallies in the middle of the campus uh is not reasonable they can they can say any place doesn't have be in the middle of the campus so I think there there's some work to be done uh I think this brings it to a highlight uh but but I would like to see certainly more solidarity in non tragic times like this from the from the legis I speak from the Senate I don't sit in the assembly but in the Senate itself do you have any thoughts on how how the constituency how as voters how can what can we do to do to to to firm up that support is there is there anything that we can do listeners can do viewers can do well absolutely viewers can do is that that their legislators in North Jersey it's not down here it's not the Ned Thompson of the world of the Shan keing of the Bob singers and it's not the ocean mou County contingent it's the contingents in North Jersey or Bergen County or things like that that don't speak up enough for the Jewish Community as as I believe they should maybe our community can which is more active maybe we can Galvanize those those Northern Communities to be a little bit more vocal maybe that's an idea I think the Democratic party up there is just not uh as as as attuned to where they should be as whereas I feel within the Republican Party there's strong support for Israel uh for for certainly uh the views of of Jews in general um I don't see that in some of the democratic areas and I have to agree with Senator I mean speaking for the Republican caucus I'm caucus leader um our cus is strongly behind Israel I've been on the commission for Israel for many years um very strong support I think Statewide as far as the Republican part is concerned but Bob's right there are contingents that are more concerned with their their areas in specific and not really supporting the uh Israel and the Jewish communities that really need the help that uh they were looking for that we fought for you know this is from the you we're talking now from the local perspective which is which is very important Israel is actually a very strong trade partner I did I did a little bit of research and I see that uh we rank higher trade with Israel in from New Jersey then than Hong Kong Australia the United Arab Emirates like there's a lot of trade that really goes on with Israel is there any talk or any concern right now uh about how this may impact the the economy of New Jersey from my perspective I sit on the commission of science technology for the state from the Senate as you know we are we are encouraged involved with many of the Technologies with Israel directly um again uh we have been enticing Israeli companies to move here I'm on the Israeli commission as you know also we've been working with them to do so and support them both here in Israel um I think that Bond will be stronger uh technology coming out of Israel is is tremendous uh great minds there we're working with them on it and I think that that this will even Israeli companies agree with the senator as a matter of fact I was reporting in resolutions of favored nation treatment uh and which gives the much easier for the technology as well as other um parts of our industry such as Pharmaceuticals to be trading partners with Israel on much much stronger basis than than is at now you know I had a little note for myself regarding Pharmaceuticals particularly there's been a shortage of amoxicillin one of the main main uh go-tos you know and tea Pharmaceuticals huge player in the pharmaceutical Market you know we're already at a fragile situation the economy is incredibly fragile if you mix start mixing in uh mixing in more difficulties with medicine it's it's just it's a really it's a really rough situation well we have to break the ties with China which manufactur a lot of our our medicines and do more with Israel which has a capability to do it a lot more so I think there's good good things in that way ahead for us in a trading partner with Israel God willing God willing back back on the local perspective um so I I I'm personally aware I know people who travel back and forth for business and right now they're obviously not it's it's it's it's almost not possible for them um is there a help for people who are dependent on on on Israel who are very largely focused on Israel with trade there's a lot of kosher food coming in there's a lot of tech work there's a lot of stuff is there anything from a state level that people from Lakewood or people from New Jersey can can turn to Trenton for help given this situation I mean I know that there's the regular you know unemployment and we know that but is there any type of ctisle or any type of program for wartime wartime emergencies that that can be tapped into for people that are going to be hurting now likely for for a good few months to come basically in my opinion there will be something it's too early at this stage right now now we haven't seen the the the ultimate effects of of what's going to happen uh we've been at a session of both uh uh Senator assembly Thompson assemblyman Keane and myself have been asking the legislator to come back in to do our work for some reason the Senate President the speaker do not want to come back to Trenton there's no question about it when we get back and they're not planning to come back till after election uh this has to be a top priority we have to take a look at that and there is money available we had from the coid money we certainly can move that money in to help uh companies and individuals that sely hurt by what is happening with trade with Israel for example I know in Lakewood uh the title company Madison title uh does a tremendous amount of work and and you know I'm sure they're going to have a problem with that so we've got to look to help those companies and help those individuals uh to make sure they're they're they're made whole at least you there's funding from the federal standpoint and also from the state level that we can Marshall up to to Really substantially support these businesses and individual that are going to be hurting from uh the conflicts is going on with Israel it's not going to be this is not a one- day thing is gonna be going on for a very long time right and the only way to deal with this is the same way that bush bush dealt with it after 911 because this is Israel's 911 unfortunately and it has to be dealt that way and that is total eradication and that it will never happen again I mean that's really the key at this point and any way that we can support that I mean you have to remember that we have the one of the largest joint bases in in the United States with Joint Base Maguire and the support that we can do on a state level and also federally to get all the help that we can to to Israel and to bring people back to the United States and they can do that out of joint base Maguire you know that's specifically what one of the reasons why I wanted to speak with you as the state legislators because I think people underestimate and and don't understand exactly what what the state of New Jersey what you can do from a state level you know everybody has been looking now towards towards the Congress and towards towards the state department and and the help that and and contacting our our con Congressional Representatives but there there is what we can do on a state level and you know I'm glad you mentioned that and that's really one of the reasons why I wanted to get on this call and speak with you yeah we can bring we have the we have the the National Guard that trains out of out of Maguire that's a state level organization that the governor really is is able to call call to into action and that that's something that we need now right now um we called for them for evacuation flights with the estate department is is doing as well as what they're doing out of Maguire uh the supplies are rolling in that's coming out of Maguire and the and the air Bridge that's that's built right now that goes from here all the way to Israel with the with the tankers to refueling in the air getting getting the materials into into place that really going to be helpful for uh to ultimately eradicate a Hamas and and this this horrible horrific attack on Israel also we're also asking about the concern I have is that and we we've asked the governors and we're we're urging you know they're talking about evacuation as you know there's there's literally thousands of of Lakewood people stuck uh in Israel right now that want to come home um I think it's ludicrous that the state department saying we fly to Europe I mean fly them home fly our people to Maguire let them come home I mean asking that you're going to put people in Europe and find your own way home is is is ludicrous it's just going to create another chaos these people need to come back to America we need to step up to the plate and say let's bring them to meguire and let them come home from there so that's an issue we're looking at and urging that we we change that concept saying we're just going to fly to Europe someplace and then you'll have to find your own way home it's just not right and not fair yeah you're you're not kidding as a matter of fact I I saw a report this morning of a of individual or family that was flown to Greece and within like five minutes or something they they maybe they were they were busy or flabbergasted or whatever it was they were distracted and they they lost all their belongings they were still not it's not just that too it's it's you can't fly from from Greece home you then have to fly from Greece to maybe London I mean it is ex it is outrageous amount of money they're charging they're actually charging crazy numbers but how do people do that you're going to drop them someplace and say figure out how to get home with children and young children you can't do that bring them back to the United States they will find their way back to their their their their their homes from from being in the United States American soil whether it's Maguire whether it's Kennedy airport they're those are big facilities they can handle those numbers they've got to come back to the United States not dropped off in some place in Europe and say find your way home it is 100% wrong well between Maguire and and Dober Joint Base Dober in in Delaware we have the facility to move thousands and thousands of people we do it all the time and as well as our troops going over and supplies going over those planes can bring those folks back if they don't have to come back empty and that's the key at this point I know it's a 11h hour flight it's it's not an easy hop but they can get them all the way home it's possible we just have to make sure that the political will is there to make to force their hand to make sure that the government takes care of these people well I I'm I'm glad to hear that the political will is there from the 30th District and so I hope that we can follow up on that because you're right you know we do have a resource and we should use it for for the good of the people of New Jersey and the good of the people of America um the the uh the resolution that you're planning now uh to bring support for Israel uh you know can you can you give us some details about what what it is that you're planning to put forward uh we again we've been styi uh Senator ponacho and myself have said um we wanted to call back a session in number one to show uh the support officially through resolution of the state of Israel and and the Jewish people in Israel uh the condemning of Hamas uh and and all that support them uh and the solidarity of the state of New Jersey in a formal action of the legislature um both supporting financially in any way we can uh the state of Israel and the Jewish population and also making aware of the fact that we are uh uh on board of concerns of the safety of the Jewish population within New Jersey uh again uh it is something we thought should be done immediately uh we asked to come back in a special session to pass the resolution and the Senate President denied us yeah that's as Bob's indicated we have called to get back into session to do our work to Marshal those assets to Marshal Marshall everything we can to to help Israel at this point uh we know we know how to do it uh we did it when we went went into Afghanistan we we've done it when when we went into Iraq it's it's not this is not a mystery uh this is not our first this is not our first rodio unfortunately uh so we have to get back into session to do our work unfortunately the uh the Democratic side don't don't seem to be taking it that that that seriously it's very it's very frustrating but I'm glad to hear I'm glad to hear you say that though Senator singer I I wanted to go back uh to a point in in uh 20 20 some odd years ago I would say probably is I was actually living in Israel at the time when your daughter SAR was on the two bus I I think she won't remember because she was she was obviously very out of it I actually went to the hospital to visit her and see you know make sure she was okay can you tell us a little bit from a personal perspective you know just take us back like what what that was about what that was like well you know it was 20 years ago uh this past June right um and a matter of fact the call I just was on with the governor SAR was on the call because he's on the Israeli commission the governor appointed to that um I know the horror of getting a phone call that that uh your child uh is in a terrorist attack um it's uh it was it's frightening I mean I can tell you your heart goes into your mouth you you don't know where and what to call what to do um I was I was very fortunate that high Lifeline uh was very very good to me um their connections in Israel um hadassa uh was uh um I got the call that she was being taken to in ketam hospital uh uh which is hadassa hospital um because of of of my involvement with the Jewish Community Federation past pres stuff like that I was able to get a hold of the head of FASA they able to to uh tie me in with the surgeon before she went into surgery um and and uh I was at least knowing that that she was in good hands on my way over there I was fortunate the governor gave me his helicopter op because he only the the next flight out was going out from Kennedy I could never have made it um and uh they held the plane for me I'm sure the other people in the plane weren't happy about it but it was a frightening frightening experience and and I did not feel um uh comfortable and and knowing my daughter was safe until I actually saw her um I cannot imagine the horror of not knowing from those those the people that are here when they hear about a loved one that might have been hurt or they don't know where they are it it is something no parent should have to go through it is a horror of Horrors and I can tell you that terrorism and this in this case Hamas bomber by the way a 19-year-old got on a bus and killed 17 people innocent people uh women children grandmothers for no reason and and Hamas family treated him as as a hero that this 19-year-old killed 17 people and and and and and hurt many many people that were they were injured uh I can only tell you that that Israel has got to do what they're doing to Hamas Hamas has to be obliterated period no anits or buts what they did in Israel what they've done in the past these are animals they're not people they're animals and I can tell you that as a as a parent of a survivor of terrorism and one great thing my daughter does she works with victims of terrorism she's been on with Israel and you know and working with them and and again you know she goes back and forth Israel a lot uh this is this is this is difficult difficult times for families and and there is no easy way out of it and that my heart goes out to all of them having known getting the phone call and I just pray that everyone that the the hostes come back safe well it that that's an amazing personal story and that's you know that's something that I wanted to to to end with and I wanted people to hear and it's an amazing story about how someone who didn't really have have involvement turned the tragedy into something positive now we're looking at 20 years later and the people that she helped and God willing we should we should turn this even greater tragedy into a greater light in the future well she speaks around the world of Rights of victims and and she's phenomenal what she does she speaks every one of the major country countries have her there when they had the uh uh uh uh remor service for the the Subway bombing in London the mayor had her there to come speak when they were in Spain they had her come speak so she speaks around the world because she understands it and understands the problems going on with that and and I and I have to tell you that that you know uh it is something that is deep-seated that we sometimes forget about the victims and their families we cannot uh they need help and they need understanding and and I can tell you that for a fact terrific okay thank you very much I want to wish you both the best of luck in the elections and going forward and uh I guess we'll probably talk again I guess as Things become more relevant but I appreciate the time just stay safe