Please ask your self why does over one million Arabs own or Make their Livelihood in Israel. They are also dying everyday by Terrorists that are not Reported. Housing is fairly distributed. There is No Racial profiling but a great need for Security.

You are a racist. Palestinians have been thrown out By all Midlle East Countries as major Risk to their Countries by being Thiefs, Liars etc.

Get your facts straight.

If Terrorism was so prevalent relative to size there would be Military action,

Wake up and Smell the Coffee.

No Democracy Afround the World.

Just what Nationality is the Biggest Threat to Democracy and Terroism in Europe and the Middle East.

Libya, Shyria, Iran, Iraq are not Racially profiling and others.

Be fair to what is thde Real situation.

Keep the General Populice ignorant and keep in Control.

We the People need to be Safe.

Not Practice your under lying /raciall Profiling.

I totally agree Nick, but Im sure this fat Governor was paid handsomely to speak kindly of Israel as is done with other politicians here in the United States, "campaign contributions" or bribes as I see them are the only incentives to politicians that speaks volumes. Do you think our politicians really care about either the Palestinians or Israelis? LOL, they only care for money and thats what Israel has lots of since WE give them over 3 BIllion a year, they take 200 Million from it and bribe our own politicians like Christie...If only Christie visited palestine he would be shocked on how Israel who is the "victim" is so twisted and sick in the head how they commit genocide and murder 10 times as many women and children than Hamas does...but im sure Christie wont go to Palestine, they're poor and cant pay christie the money for his campaigns

I guess bulldozing the indigenous Semite people of Palestine out of their ancestral homes, subjecting them to countless invasive checkpoints on the way to homes, school or work, putting people in reservation style blockaded patchwork homeland settlements, I guess by your thinking and the guy below "user 07024", that's not a racist or apartheid state, but a democracy, your logic is beyond twisted. israel got legitimization because the europeans were more than happy to rid their own countries of their very own non-Semite jewish citizens and unload them on the Semite people of Palestine!. That's an actual fact of history, not some religious superstitious mythology you are trying to bullshit people with!

Cathy: Nytimes is wriiten by Liberal Jews and so is the record.. whats your point? that nayone who speaks the truth about Israel should be attacked in the same manner that you and weinberger are doing? I see Israel trying to destroy their neighbors honey...I dont see palestinians stealing homes of Israelis, or putting economic sanctions on them, or building a wall right through israelis homees...dont ever say we are like Israel..that offends me as an American and makes me and our brothers and sisters here in the United States feel small to be compared to the terrorist nation of Israel

Anti israel = jew hater, that's your argument?, The europeans wouldn't accept their own non-Semite jewish citizens and they conveniently unloaded them on the indigenous Semite people of Palestine. Only a racist and apartheid state like the old So. Africa and israel put people in patchwork style blockaded settlement homeland reservations and subjects them to daily humiliating checkpoint searches going to school, home or work, or bulldozes out of ancestral homes, and not to mention any rights of citizenship or the right to vote. But I guess by your twisted thinking and critique or mention of israeli criminality or Palestinian rights is jew hating.

LOL, the Race card? LOL, i think your race card has been worn out, as Jews are the biggest racist in the world... dont Jews believe that they are superior to Non-Jews? because you're supposedly the chosen people? LOL, thats called Jewish supremacy.. we basically traded in one nut job(Hitler) for another (Israel)...Great how many more weirdos are going to think they are superior to the rest of the world... Hey dont Jews HATE muslims? not so honorable as Jews are you?

John,

Jews don't hate Muslims. Jews come in many stripes, in that regard, just as Muslims and Christians do. On your other points, I also don't buy the logic that would position anyone who stands up for the dignity of Muslims and persons in Middle Eastern nations other then Israel is a Jew hater. But your generalizations about Jews do come across as a bit prejudicial. And, without wishing to label you, I am rather certain that antisemitism IS alive and well throughout the world, even in Bergen county. Have you not noticed the incidents being reported in the Patch lately?

May I suggest that Judaism is a much broader thing then you are taking it for? The idea of "Jewish supremacy," in particular, is about as far from Judaism is about as one could get.

Jordan...Egypt and Iraq's leaders are under our thumb and do what we want so they were never a democracy...Israel itself is not a democracy either.. the one who usually gets elected is the one who gives out the most threats to people.. on top of that Israel was created through the genocide of the inhabitants that once lived there (Palestinians) and today a democracy says everyone is equal...if you're a muslim or a christian you are not allowed to fully own your home or land, you can only own 1/3 of it..its called the jewish supremacy laws..unless you're jewish you cant fully own the house or land..look it up...Israel is not a democracy nor acts like a democracy.. we as Americans are not murdering, raping,pillaging, or bombing our neighbors..again we are nothing like Israel..stop the propoganda

Call me a bigot then....I am intolerant of the way Saudi Arabia treats their women (must cover everything but their eyes, cannot go out or get a job or travel without a male guardian, cannot drive a car). I am intolerant of the Hamas who rule Gaza whose charter says to kill the Jews. If being a bigot means to hate these opinions of others then call me a bigot

There are approximately 1000 reported rapes every year in the state of New Jersey. It wouldn't make much sense, though, to say that we don't like the way that New Jersey "treats their women." It may surprise you, but there are Saudis who disagree with the sorts of things that you mentioned too.

I have no problem, at all, with your particular criticisms of certain things that go on in certain Middle Eastern countries other then Israel. But let's be honest. We can find much to criticize that goes on in Israel and in the United States too.

Moreover, it is a very different thing to point out these sorts of things then it is to state that Israel is "the ONLY country that stands up for the values that are the bedrock of" the United States.

Firstly, take a real look around America. People from everywhere are to be found here. Some only choose to notice the cultural influences of a place or two in particular that they happen to identify with. But if we really look at all of America, then "American values" are, whether we like it or not, manifold. Importantly, the core standards that bind us as a single people begin with tolerance and inclusiveness.

So what sort of message does Christie's chauvinism send to the millions of people in the Middle East who are not Israelis? Are his version of "American values" shining examples for "the Hamas who rule Gaza whose charter says to kill the Jews?"

Ridgewood Mom, stop skirting Cathy's question and just answer it.

I was not "skirting" Cathy's question. Read what I wrote.

In ALL countries in the Middle East there are values to be found that are similar to those found in the United States, just as is the case with Israel. Insofar as there are differences, there is also much difference to be found between Israel and the United States and, quite significantly, within the United States.

The idea that Israel and the US have some sort of special similarity that the rest of the middle east does not share with the US is not a statement of what those countries actually are, but a statement of inclusion and exclusion. It is a mirrored perpetuation of the very "us and them" mentality that drives the tensions in the middle east to begin with. For example, the anti-semitic positions of Hamas leaders.

It also represents a profound misunderstanding about what a culture and a nation are and aren't. Why do we regard that Saudi Arabia does not treat "their women" well? If there is a harm being committed against women in Saudi Arabia such that those Saudi women might not cherish and value it, then why are these victims not entitled to be the ones who define Saudi culture?

Ridgewood Mom:
1. do tell of another Mid East country that comes close to the values of this country - what other country has open elections? What other country allows non-indigenous to be in the govt (do you expect to see a Jew in the Kuwait or Syrian Govt?) What other country would allow the construction of a religious temple of any denomination?
2. regarding how women are treated - you seem to be confusing state-sponsored actions (i.e. restrictions on what women can do) vs what individuals do (i.e.rape). There are bad people everywhere (and people in bad places that disagree with their local environ), but the issue here is what is state sanctioned,
3. re "So what sort of message does Christie's chauvinism send to the millions of people in the Middle East who are not Israelis? Are his version of "American values" shining examples for "the Hamas who rule Gaza whose charter says to kill the Jews?". FYI Hamas has been around long before Christie got elected.

Zigi: "do tell of another Mid East country that comes close to the values of this country"
As I said, all of them.

Zigi: "what other country has open elections?"
Are open elections a statement of values or something else? If persons in nations where people are unable to take part in elections were able to take part, how many do you think would choose not to? If a dictator would arise in the US that could prevent citizens from participating in open elections, would that mean that Americans no longer valued such participation?

Zigi: "you seem to be confusing state-sponsored actions (i.e. restrictions on what women can do) vs what individuals do (i.e.rape)."
You are correct in pointing out that there is a difference between the actions of a state and those of an individual. Also, you have pointed out that the governments of the United States and Israel are more responsive to the interests of their general populations than are those of other Middle Eastern nations. So if we are to be consistent, we must acknowledge that the greater divide between the responsiveness of government to the will of those governed, amongst said Middle Eastern nations, is strong evidence to the point that such states can not be said to represent their people's "values."

Cathy: its Israel who states they want to wipe Palestine off the map themselves so dont tell me Israelis are angels.. and by the way do some homework on your sup[erior jews of Israel who murder 10 TIMES as many women and children as Hamas does, so if Hamas is a terrorist organization than what does that make Israel for killing 10 times as many civilians? I know Cathy you're jewish and your loyalty is to Israel 100000 times more than it is to the United States...please do not insult us here in the U.S. and try to spread propoganda that Israel is a good nation when their actions speak louder than words.. we're living in the 21st century where information is easily obtained.. in other words dont LIE

You may have not received my last response, due to some of the adjectives I used, I will iterate for you as well as weinburger: I Wouldn't give a half a shekel for you superstitious religious mythology anymore than I would for the many other religious superstitious stupidities that have plagued mankind and cost countless lives since time immemorial. The northern european and slav non-Semite squatter occupiers are treated as they are because they are illegally occupying land which does not belong to them (U.N. Resol. 242). They are and will be treated and resisted as occupiers by the indigenous people they are occupying. I've been to Palestine several times in the last ten years, and my response to your "kiss-kiss" is likely the reason it wasn't published, I will let you figure out what that was.

Israel murders 10 times as many women and children than Hamas does... Israel does much wrong.. what other country(Israel) bans chips and soda to Palestine? LOL, did you hear Israel said they need to ban chips and soda for Israels defense,LOL

Yes!

If women can be regarded as victims in such places, and I think that both you and I will agree that they often are, then it makes no sense to regard the "values" of those victims as comprising a culture that lacks the set of humane values that might be falsely assumed to be uniquely "ours."

Just to be clear, I am comfortable as you are with constructive cultural criticism and the insistence upon "standards" as the basis for a civil society. I am no cultural relativist.

P.S. I really don't think that you are a bigot. You obviously care about Saudi women, or else you would be happy to see them suffer. I am also quite skeptical about the motivations behind Christie's words. To ally oneself with Israel is a prudent political move, but I suspect lip service. If he were to have it his way, I think, America would be understood as a "Christian" nation and not a "Judeo-Christian one.

Sure, the ultra Orthodox do stuff like this

http://bikyamasr.com/65507/saudi-woman-sentenced-to-flogging-for-swearing-in-text

or this

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-15079620

all the time - not! Get a clue.

Shared Values USA and Israel: Seperation of church and state, individual rights and freedom, free speech, equality. Yes religion influences state laws, however Israel does not make everyone follow orthodox laws while many other Mideast countries adapt Sharia law for everyone. People are free in USA and Israel to speak their minds, including cursing God and questioning laws and religion. THis is not so in other mid east countries. People are free to build churchs, mosques, and synagogues, not so in other mideast countries. People are free to change religions or be atheists in USA and Israel, not so......etc. etc. Do you need more examples?
Islam is a religion and a political system. There is no questioning Sharia or Islam if you are in a Muslim state, there is no changing your religion (unless you become Muslim), minorities (homosexuals, women, infidels(non-muslims) are not equal under Sharia.

I think that Islam is a much bigger umbrella then you take it for Cathy.

There are many Muslims who do not take it that way. There are also many Christians and Jews who take their religion that way. Some might even say that there are Atheists who take themselves that way.

As to the topic, Christie had conflated the two prior to the start of the conversation. He has made synonym of state governments and the values of the cultures over which they preside. There is no mention of good Islamic people crippled by oppressive regimes. There is only declaration of a partnership with the US that includes Israel and excludes the whole of the rest of the Middle East.