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Gov. Cuomo, NY Officials To Visit Israel Tuesday

WAMC composite photo by Dave Lucas

As fighting there continues, Governor Andrew Cuomo and other top New York lawmakers fly off to Israel Tuesday for what's being described as a  “unity trip.”  

Cuomo said in a statement New York has a "special relationship" with Israel and that he's proud to be leading the bipartisan visit to "reaffirm our friendship and support."  Cuomo,  Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and Senate co-leaders Dean Skelos and Jeff Klein plan to meet with Israeli leaders and visit residents affected by the fighting.

The governor was invited to visit Israel in mid-July by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, after Cuomo issued a statement in support of Israel as tensions in the Middle East were on the rise.

NYPIRG's Blair Horner wants to know who's footing the bill for Cuomo and company's junket to the Middle East.    "I thought it was sort of remarkable that the first series of stories that came out today on this, no one seems to know who was paying for the trip. You would think somebody knows who's paying for the trip because they set it up. Typically people don't fly to Israel and not know how it’s gonna be paid for, so its sort of strange to me, that that would be the case and it raises ethical issues, depending on how its being paid for."

The governor's office did not immediately return a call asking that specific question. 

Horner is among those Albany observers who regard Cuomo's trip as "politically wise" at a time when he's taken a bit of heat for his entanglement with the Moreland Commission controversy. The governor has rarely left the state since taking office in 2011.

Dr. Gerald Benjamin is Director of the Center for Research, Regional Education Outreach at SUNY New Paltz.   "Classically, New York politicians (and historically) have had to visit the 'three I's' during their term in office, Israel, Ireland and Italy. Of course the composition of the New York population has changed. I think it's an expression of, a personal expression of support for Israel that will be very appreciated by Jewish voters in New York, and other voters who support Israel, and I think that it's especially important since the governor so rarely travels outside the state."

WAMC's political observer Dr. Alan Chartock:  "Strategically, it's genius to go to Israel. New York has tons of Jewish voters, and they're in solidarity with Israel. And like Mike Bloomberg, who was the first to go, you go and brings with him the head of the State Assembly, the head of the State Senate and then show force and show unity in doing this thing. So it's very smart. Whether he's doing it because its good politics or whether he's doing it because he believes it, one can't really tell. I think he's doing it because he needs it, but one never knows in these cases."

So, what might Israelis think?  Lahav Harkov is parliamentary correspondent with The Jerusalem Post.    "I think any high-profile solidarity visit is viewed as a positive thing for Israelis. I'm sure the visit will make the news here, though I think It matters from an Israeli PR perspective even more than it does internally in Israel. Cuomo's visit will send a positive message about Israel to New York and all of the U.S., and I wouldn't discount the value of Kenneth Cole's visit from that angle, either, since he's a big name in the fashion world."

Also in the New York delegation:  Daily News publisher Mort Zuckerman.

Dave Lucas is WAMC’s Capital Region Bureau Chief. Born and raised in Albany, he’s been involved in nearly every aspect of local radio since 1981. Before joining WAMC, Dave was a reporter and anchor at WGY in Schenectady. Prior to that he hosted talk shows on WYJB and WROW, including the 1999 series of overnight radio broadcasts tracking the JonBenet Ramsey murder case with a cast of callers and characters from all over the world via the internet. In 2012, Dave received a Communicator Award of Distinction for his WAMC news story "Fail: The NYS Flood Panel," which explores whether the damage from Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee could have been prevented or at least curbed. Dave began his radio career as a “morning personality” at WABY in Albany.
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