So, good evening everyone and welcome. >> The November 12th, 2025 council meeting for the Long Branch City Council will now come to order. Roll call, please. >> Mr. Roses, >> here. >> Mr. Vieira, >> I'm here. >> Mrs. Whittis,
>> here. >> Mr. Dangler, >> here. >> Dr. Vote, >> here. Please stand for the pledge of allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation
under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> I will now read the mission statement for the city council. The Long Branch mayor, city council, and administration are committed to cultivating an
environment of mutual trust and respect that values the diversity of our community. We will strive to enhance the quality of life for all who live here by making Long Branch a desirable place in which to live and prosper. We will treat
all members of the public with respect and expect the same in return. Certification, please. I hereby certify that this meeting has been published in the newspaper in accordance with the open public meeting act and posted as required by law. >> Okay. Thank you. So, we have three pre
presentations tonight and we're going to start off with um our our student who is going to be coming up to talk about the uh National Native American Heritage Month. Um if you would just come up to the podium and introduce yourself,
please. [Applause] Hi, I'm Mayana Reid. Um, I'm a senior at Long Branch High School. >> Okay, get close to the microphone. Get close to the microphone. >> Can I
>> Yeah, >> I don't want to touch anything. >> Can you guys hear me? Oh, there. Thank you. Okay. Whereas in 1990, President George HW Bush declared November to be National American Indian Heritage Month, with
subsequent declarations more appropriately entitled Native American Heritage Month, which refers to the indigenous Americans, including both Native Americans and Alaska Native Americans. And whereas there are 574
federally recognized American Indian and Alaska Native tribes and villages and four recognized tribes and one reservation within the state of New Jersey. And whereas in the month shared with Veterans Day, we honor Native Americans who have courageously served in our armed forces, acknowledging their
vital role in World War I and World War II and noting that they continue to serve at a higher rate than any other ethnic group in our country. And whereas it is important that we honor the resilience, love, and strength of these Americans who brought us to this point in our history and to their leaders who
faithfully strive to preserve their cherished traditions. And whereas in 2025, there has been an increased recognition and inclusivity of native peoples in positions of influence on the federal level. And whereas it is important for us to join the nation in celebrating the contributions that this
important segment of our city has made to develop to develop of our country. Our shared need to confront prejudice in in our communities and work towards a vision of understanding and inclusiveness for all. Now therefore, the mayor and city
council of Long Branch High Long Branch hereby proclaim that November is Native American Heritage Month. Thank you. Tell tell us your name again. Tell us your name again. >> My name is Mayana Reed.
>> Wonderful. Great job. We we love to have our students come up and talk about their heritage heritage. So >> excellent. >> Thank you. Great. And so our second one, this is a short one. This is a certificate of recognition that the city of Long Branch
actually received. This is from Easy Ride and um it is presented for the attainment of the silver level recognition for New Jersey safe streets, safe roots to school program. Um, it's
honoring the commitment for the city and support for the program by enabling and encouraging children to walk and to bicycle to school by ensuring that those streets are safe for them. So, this is a
silver silver letter, a silver level. Um, so we need to keep working on it to get the gold level, but we're going to do it to ensure that our children um are safe on their way to school. So very nice for the for the city of Long Branch
and Hi. Good. Thank you. And is Mr. Mock uh Merkandante here? >> Oh, please come up.
And um and Janet Fina here. Yeah, Janet, please come forward. There you go. >> There you go. So, we would like to read this uh proclamation and thanks for coordinating
the Columbus Day parade and all the assistance that you give to to the city. So, thank you. >> Let me do let me read it if I may. Whereas um the Long Branch Columbus Day parade holds a place of prominence in the rich rich history of our city. And
whereas the city's first Columbus Day parade took place in 1892 which commemorated the 400th anniversary of Columbus Landing featuring 154 floats and an estimated 10,000
spectators. And whereas the Columbus Day parades were held over the course of many years thanks to our city's Italian organization but was not held in in 1944
or 1945 because of World War II. And whereas in 1946, the Long Branch Col Columbus Day return uh parade uh returned was broadened to uh make returning World War II veterans feel
welcomed and honored and the parade has taken place every year since then. And whereas the Americasuchi Society has coordinated the Longbridge Columbus Day parade for many years when in 2005 Mr.
Merkandante took on the enormous task of chairing the event and where on whereas in 2008 under M under Joseph Merkandanti's leadership the parade grew to one of the largest in the state of
New Jersey. Thank you. And whereas Mr. Merkandante with the invaluable assistance of Janet Fino has lovingly curated the parade that embraces and celebrates the diversity and the spirit of community in our city.
Now therefore, the mayor and the city council of the city of Long Branch hereby proclaim their deep appreciation to Jose Joseph Mandante and Janet Pino for their enormous contribution to the
city of Long Branch through their coordination of the Long Branch Columbus Day parade and for giving our community the opportunity every year to bring our various cultures together joyfully exhibit exhibiting How the city of Long Branch is a great
place in which to live, work, and visit. Signed by uh Mayor John Palone, council president, myself uh on this 12th day of November, 2025.
>> Thank you so much. Thank you. >> Thank you so much. >> Uhhuh. And here's one for Janet. There you go. >> Thank you. >> Uhuh. Um, no, this was something else. Yeah. >> Thank you. >> Thanks, Joe.
>> Thanks, Joe. >> Always wonderful to start our meetings with presentations, people making these wonderful contributions to our city. So, thank you so much. And moving uh along
reading and approval of the pretty of the previous minutes. I need a motion to approve the minutes from the October 22nd, 2025 uh meeting. >> So moved. Second. >> Roll call, please. >> Mr. Resus, >> yes. >> Mr. Vieiraa, >> yes. >> Mrs. Whittis,
>> abstain. >> Mr. Dangler, >> abstain. >> Dr. Vote. >> Yes. >> Motion passed. >> Thank you. Consideration of ordinance public hearing and final consideration. This is ordinance 0-14-25. An ordinance of the city of Long Branch
amending chapter 316 towing section 316-5 fees 316-7 license fees uh term renewal and annual
in inspection fee. This ordinance was introduced on October 22nd, 2025 and amends the towing ordinance by updating the fee schedule and license fees for tow operators in the city of Long. I
need a motion to open the public hearing on this ordinance only. >> So move second. >> All in favor? >> I. I. Any member of the public uh who has comments to make on this ordinance only, please come to the podium, state
your name and address clearly for the record. You will have five minutes and may only speak once on ordinance 0-14-25. And seeing no one coming to the podium, I need a motion to close. >> So move second. >> All in favor? I
>> I Uh, I need, uh, this is the second reading of ordinance 14-25. I need a motion to adopt on second and final reading and advertise according to law. >> So move second. >> Roll call, please.
>> Mr. Ras, >> yes. >> Mr. Vieiraa, >> yes. >> Mrs. Whittis, >> yes. >> Mr. Dangler, >> yes. >> Dr. Vote, >> yes. >> Motion passed. >> Thank you. Ordinance for introduction. There are none. Um, so we're moving to
the public participation part for resolutions and all general comments. I need a motion to open the public portion of the meeting for all comments. >> Some moved. Second. >> All in favor? >> I >> opposed.
The public portion of the meeting is to allow you, the public, to state your comments directly to the administration and have a voice in the proceedings of your governing body. There will be no cross dialogue during the public portion
of the meeting. After you have spoken, any member of the deis authorized to speak on the administration's behalf may address your comments, answer questions, and correct any misleading or erroneous information.
If there's anyone in the audience who has a comment to make, please step forward to the podium, state your name and address clearly for the record. You will have five minutes and may only speak once. Good evening. My name is Jeff Walstein.
I was born here in Long Branch. I currently reside in Titan Falls. Let me explain why there are so many people here tonight. Over the last two weeks, something truly remarkable has happened. A video compilation of my three previous speeches to this council was shared by
the local news page Jersey Coast Emergency News and from there spread all across the internet. It has surpassed a 100,000 views on Facebook, over a half a million views on Tik Tok and has been shared by prominent influencers all across Twitter and Instagram. Tens of
thousands of New Jersey residents have seen it. And about 95% of those commenting support my stance on the Israeli flag display, not the mayors. Over the past few weeks, I've received an overwhelming number of messages from
people thanking me for speaking out. Many have told me they no longer come to Long Branch because of those flags. Others have said the flags make them feel nervous, anxious, and unwelcome in their own community. One longtime Long Branch resident even called me on the
phone crying, telling me her husband is a Palestinian trapped in Gaza, and that walking past those flags every day gives her PTSD. Countless people have told me all the same thing, that I'm saying what everyone else is thinking, and they
thank me for being the voice of the silent majority. That overwhelming response shows that people are waking up. It's proof that our elected officials no longer represent the viewpoints of the people. Mayor Palone, you've lost touch with
your constituents. You seem more focused on protecting well-connected developers and major political donors than on representing the people who actually live here. Mayor Palone, at a previous meeting, you said my comments reached the darkest depths of hatred and
anti-semitism. Those are some heavy words. You tried to paint me as an extremist, as a villain, simply for quoting scripture, questioning government actions, and putting America first. You essentially labeled the Bible and the words of Jesus
Christ as hate speech. That's absurd, insulting, and frankly, it's lazy leadership. You never actually responded to anything I've said. You've offered no rebuttals, only personal attacks. And history has seen this tactic time and again. When people speak uncomfortable
truths, those in power are quick to place labels on them in an attempt to discredit them. Now, let's get back to the original issue that brings us all here tonight. The flags at Pier Village, a development built on land taken by the government through eminent domain under
the promise of public use. Even if the property is now owned by Jared Kushner, it cannot be treated as purely private because that would be a violation of the fifth amendment. That means the private property argument does not fully shield it from constitutional scrutiny. In law,
this hybrid state is often called a limited public forum or public function doctrine territory. By flying only Israeli flags, the city engages in unlawful viewpoint discrimination. And residents like myself who question it
face hostility, defamation, and even police contact. And we have to ask ourselves why. A wise man's one a wise man once said, "To learn who rules over you, simply find out who you are not allowed to criticize." And of all the
things ever said by the public at this podium, it's only when the state of Israel is criticized that intimidation tactics appear. According to opensecs.org, federal campaign records show that your brother, Congressman Frank Palone, has
received over $247,000 from pro-Israel political committees. That raises legitimate concerns. Thank you. That raises legitimate concerns about where your loyalty truly lies. This issue is bigger than flags and it's
bigger than me. It's about whether government here in Long Branch serves the public or serves itself. So, I'll close with this. You can call me names. You can label my words hate speech, but you cannot erase the First Amendment. I'm deeply grateful and proud to have
raised awareness in the most American way possible by exercising my God-given right to free speech. I want to thank everyone on both sides who came out here tonight in support and in opposition. And I want to thank all of you most
importantly for putting America first. >> Thank you. [Applause] America first always. America first,
>> ladies and gentlemen. >> Ladies and gentlemen, so a few uh before we proceed, uh as was mentioned earlier, uh the public has a right to speak and you will all be granted your five minutes. This is not a back and forth between the members of the council and the public. So I don't want anyone to
have the impression that we will be responding to those comments immediately following the speakers. Secondarily, I understand that everybody has an opinion here one way or the other. Disruptions are not going to be tolerated. This is a meeting. The public is here to speak.
When you are done, we are asking you to respectfully sit down and allow the next member of the public to have the same opportunity that you were just afforded, which is to speak your mind. Okay, sir. You please. >> Thank you. >> Good evening. My name is Dan Dley. Uh my
friends call me Titus. I live in South Brunswick, New Jersey. Uh it's somewhat ironic that we are here a day after Veterans Day, a day to honor all of our veterans who served this country. I myself am a fourth generation United States Army veteran. My
great-grandfather fought in the SpanishAmerican War. My grandfather fought in World War I. My father fought in the South Pacific in World War II. I have uncles who fought in Korea and cousins who fought in Vietnam. I don't think they would be very happy with what's going on in Long Branch with the
flags flying on our soil. So those six flags that are being flown at Pier Village are the flags of a foreign nation, Israel. [Applause] I want to ask the public to please respect the speaker. Give him give him a
chance to make his comments and you remain quiet. >> Reclaim your comment. >> Yes, I would like to reclaim my time please. That was lost for your comments in the Is that okay? >> Proceed. Okay. Oh. Uh, so Israel is a country that attacked the United States
naval ship, the USS Liberty on June 6th, June 8th, 1967 in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea. This purposeful and treacherous sneak attack killed 34 American sailors and injured 171. It also resulted in a complete destruction of our ship. It was not a mistake. We
know it was not a mistake because we have the radio transmissions from the Israeli pilots to their base. The pilots reported that the ship was an American naval vessel. They were told by their base to bomb it anyway. And not only did they bomb the ship, they shot out the
radio antenna. They dropped napom on the deck. Then Israeli torpedo boats fired a torpedo and ripped open a 30-foot hole in the hull, instantly killing 34 sailors. They then machine gun the lifeboats. So why the hell would you fly the flag of a country that committed
such a horrendous act on your own nation? This is treason. When I enlisted in the United States, it's beyond a disgrace. This is treason. When I enlisted the United States Army, I swore an oath to America and the American flag, not the nation of Israel or the flag of Israel. What this really
represents is conquest. America is under Israeli occupation. Practically every representative and senator, as we just heard, the mayor's brother, takes money from the American Israeli political action committee. And anyone taking money from Apac should have to register as foreign agents under the Foreign
Agents Registration Act and the Jewish Supremacist Control of America. Israel is not our greatest ally. They have stabbed us in the back repeatedly and drained billions of dollars of our taxes. They have lied us into two wars in the Middle East, resulting in thousands of American casualties and
trillions of dollars of our tax money stolen. Israel is not our greatest ally. They are our worst deadly enemy. And what I would like to do now is to read the names of the 34 American servicemen who were murdered by Israel on board the
USS Liberty in 1967. So, William Allenba, Philip McArmstrong, Gary Blanchard, Allan Blue, Francis Brown, Ronnie Campbell, Jerry Converse, Robert Eisenberg, Jerry Goss, Curtis
Graves, Lawrence Hayden, Warren Herszy, Alan Higgins, Carl Hart, Richard Keane, James Lenau, Raymond Lynn, James Lupton, Dwayne Mar, Graph David Malber, Anthony
Mandel, Carl Nigren, James Pierce, Jack Rapar, Edward Raymeer, David Skolac, John Smith, Melvin Smith, John Sper, Alexander Thompson, Thomas Thornton,
Philip Tidkkey, Steven S. Toth, Frederick Walton. The moment of silence, please, for our American heroes who were murdered by the outlawed state of Israel. Thank Thank you for respecting a moment of silence. Uh, no more wars for Israel. No more wars for Jewish bankers. A Chris
Rex. >> Thank you. Is there anyone else who would like to speak? >> Yeah, right here. >> Wait one second. I think you're coming to the podium. >> Would you like to speak first? I I'd like to speak. >> Yeah. >> All right. I'll defer to this gentleman. May I be next? We're we're running this
as we run every city council meeting. Whoever wants to get up next comes up and has five minutes after you say your name and address. So if you want if if you want to be next, sir, that's fine to go after him.
>> Hey, good evening council council members. Thank you for this opportunity to speak even though I was promised uh five minutes at this podium 3,000 years ago. >> Excuse Excuse me, sir. Your name and address, please. >> Yeah, I'm getting to it. I'm going to uh
My name is Ron Shehy and I was kicked out. >> Your address, please. >> 2076th Street, Barnagate, New Jersey. My name is Ron Shehy and I was kicked out 109 bars over, 1100
times. But it was never my fault. But I'm here tonight because I lost my cousin Thomas Riley. Thomas Riley. When Israel attacked and bombed the USS
Liberty on June 8th, 1967, 34 Americans sailors died that day. 171s were uh wounded. Sorry, I lost my spot. Thomas died some years later from complications from the wounds he received that day. I don't
tell you this out of pity. I tell you this because American blood runs through our soil and American flags be belong on American ground. Period. Tonight, six Israel flags fly in long branch.
That is six too many. This isn't about hate. It's about honor. Our flags polls are not international billboards. There are an American soil paid with American tax dollars, defended by
American lives. Lives like Thomas Riley. America first isn't a slogan. It's a promise. We fly one flag in public spaces. The stars and stripes that drape Thomas's casket. My cousin.
Council members, imagine six Palestinian flags up there or six Russians or six Chinese. You would have them removed tomorrow in a heartbeat. So why a double standard? Why insult the memory of American sailors by raising another
nation's banner on a land they died to protect? The US's celebrity was a US Navy ship flying a clear 8 foot by 13 foot flag. Israel fighter jet saw this American flag but decided to attack it
anyway. It was a clear day, middle of the day. The survivors were ordered silent. Their story was buried, but Thomas Riley's name is carved in stone, and Long Branch
will not bury it again. Take those flags down. Fly to old glory alone. Let every pole in Long Branch scream one message. American first, American only, American always. for Thomas and everyone
who was on a USS Liberty that day and for all our military men who gave their lives in battle for this country. One flag, one nation in indivisible. Thank you. God bless the United States military. God bless the United States of
America and Christ is king. All right. Uh, one last thing on, if you're not familiar with the USS Liberty, there's a documentary on YouTube and you could also, uh, watch my cousin's last interview, uh, Thomas Riley, USS Liberty
on YouTube. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Thanks. >> Good evening. Um, my name is Rich Seagull. I live in Tene, New Jersey. I'm sorry that I did not know the protocol of how things are run here. I
have not spoken here before. Um, I drove an hour, actually about an hour and 20 to get here today because it was important enough for me to do that. Um, I'm Jewish. I want everybody to know
that I'm Jewish. I support the Palestinian cause. I am an anti-sionist Jew. I think it's very important to know that Zionism and Judaism are not the same thing despite what many Zionist Jews
would like to claim. Before I discuss my objection to your flags, um, where did Jeff go? >> Oh, I'm going to shake his hand and I'm going to object to whoever called this
guy an anti-semite. He just shook the hand of a Jew. He's my friend and he's not an anti-semite. The flags that you are flying publicly, six flags,
Israeli flags, they are the flag of a country that has just been committing genocide for two years. Some people may object to that. Those people are wrong.
>> The UN says >> I'm not going to be interrupted. And I want to just say something. I speak regularly at town council meetings in Tene, New Jersey because they have illegal Israeli real estate events there that I've been trying to stop since 2007
and I have not been able to put a stop to it. But recently, passions have been so high that I spoke at a town council meeting and when I sat down, I was assaulted by a Jewish member of the community. So, I'm not going to deal with anybody interrupting me here.
Israel has committed a genocide over the past two years. The UN says so. Human rights organizations around the world say so. Israel's own human rights organization, Betsel, says that Israel has been committing a
genocide. The display of these flags publicly in your town is an obscenity. It is an obscenity. It should not be
allowed. It's deeply offensive to most people, including many Jews, including this Jew. I consider myself a cult survivor. Many
Jews are raised anti-Zionist. I was not. I was raised Zionist. I was the 15-year-old president of a Zionist youth group when our adult sponsors brought in lyrics that they had
rewritten to popular songs. And they had us singing song lyrics about killing Arabs. And I'm 15 years old and I'm a president of this youth group. And I'm thinking to myself, do I really want to sing songs about killing people?
And I said, well, these are our adults. They're in charge of us. They, you know, they must be right. And after all, all the Arabs, they just want to kill us for no reason. That's what I was taught. It's not true. Israel was born of Jewish terrorism.
Israel was born by the mass expulsion of 3/4 of a million Palestinian people. 30 documented massacres. Over 500 towns and villages ceased to exist. That's Israel. And Israel did
attack the USS Liberty. And I go to the annual meetings that these gentlemen have. And they're my friends, the survivors of that attack. I'm disgusted that this town is allowing this obscene display.
I drove over an hour to come down here to tell you that and to ask you to put a stop to it. Rich Seagull, T-neck, New Jersey, thanks for letting me speak. [Applause]
All right, I'll next. >> Good evening. My name is Hhabib Hassan and I am a resident of South Amboy, New Jersey. I've been immigrated from Pakistan over
four decades living in this country and I support the Constitution and salute to the flag of United States of America. in seeing traveling 45 minutes from South Amboy to the Pure Village and
seeing these ugly Israeli flags keeps on reminding about the genocides and the innocent babies and elderly are being killed and being avoided basic necessity of life.
I request the board to kindly vote in favor of taking those flags down and keep them away. United States of America flag should only be raised in public places and we salute to the flag of United States of America. Thank you for
understanding. Um my name is Mark Peragski. Sorry. Uh I have a little bit of accent here. >> Would you? >> Yes. I live in Ocean Township, 29 Milberg Drive if you want. Um 30 years
ago I became American citizen by choice and I came here 35 36 years ago from Soviet Union. I was born there. I was born in the middle of Siberia for the reason as anybody would notice not of my choosing or not of my parents' choosing
but they were forced to be there from their you know worst places. Um as far as military service, I was officer in Soviet army but uh I really fully respect US army
and I you usually have a flag American flag on my house not like many other my neighbors but the point be here I cannot stand you know when people misrepresent stuff I'm just open up um a Wikipedia
page about that accident is 1967 it was the Israel six day for and Wikipedia says in a half of its article that the reason the boat was attacked because it capture radio signals and communications
of fight Israeli you know military fighting a war at the moment and it was transmitting them and the Russians were spying on them too and they were transmitting the same signal as American liberty ship to Egyptians
and so they had a um a ceasefire with Syrians and it's prevented from their military attack and another thing is what people here are calling Israel as a nation of
whatever whatever was told here some gentlemen said it's genocidal and other things right I am part of my family died in the world war II but some of them were soldiers in the military fighting Nazis. Some
were just, you know, civilians. So, I don't think it's a good forum and it's honest depiction of Israel as a bad nation or bad neighbor or bad a lie to United States. It's a lie. That's my opinion. I'll stick to it. Okay? And so,
gentlemen and ladies, think about it. Who is being killed? How people being killed? Who is being held hostages? who whose body being held in captivity. Bodies, not people. That's unheard of in civilized society. Bodies being held
hostages. By whom? Okay. So, some people prefer death. Some people prefer life. Jews and Israel prefer life and light. That's all I going to say today. And as far as the issue of flying flags,
when I saw the Israeli flag flying, I was kind of, okay, interesting. But when it stopped flying there, I said, whoa, that is the attack. Well, seriously, people attacking. Somebody put those flags up. It's I
don't think it was a political statement. >> Okay. A flying Israel flag on my house, too. Thank you, sir. >> Okay. >> Yeah. So, just >> Yes, that's that's what all I want to say. >> Okay. Thank you.
[Applause] [Music] [Applause] >> I'd like to thank you for the audience. I've never been to a place like this. I've never spoken to an audience like this. So, I just want to make sure I could speak from the heart and say what I want to say. Is that correct? >> That's correct. And if you could start
us off. My name is Danny Abbouti, 132 Lewis Street, Eatontown, New Jersey. >> I feel so foolish as a 51-year-old man. I never knew a flag could have this much impact and incight this much emotion out of people. Growing up, where I grew up,
it was shame on you if you hung a Yankee flag and it wasn't a Met Flag. Something along these lines. I never knew hate like this. I never knew opinions and stuff of this nature. I want to say Mayor Palone, God bless you. I think you're doing a great job. I think you're
all doing a great job. Um, with the last of my time here, I'd like to speak from the heart. I'm going to really just let this one go. Trying to think about what to say, but hearing all this anger and vitrial, I'm choosing to give a blessing towards the state of Israel.
understand what you're saying. >> Excuse me one sec. Please stop with the comments. Everyone comes up here and deserves respect. But we're not we don't understand. >> So please stop with the comments and let
him make his his statement. Amen. For those of you that don't know Hebrew, look it up. Google it. Excuse me. A blessing for the state of Israel. >> Excuse me, sir. Hold on one second. Again, the comments from either side, whether we're supporting, clapping, cheering, booing, whatever, they all have to stop.
It is disrespectful to the individual who is speaking. Whether you agree with him or not, he earns his time. It's his five minutes. Allow him the opportunity to speak. When it is your opportunity to speak, you should be afforded the same opportunity. >> Considering today is Veterans Day, I want to honor all the veterans in the
room. That being the case, as being a proud American, I will not be giving a blessing for the Israeli soldiers. God bless you guys. >> Let's go back. >> Thank you. >> Good evening, council. >> My name is Ivan McDunn. I grew up here. My address is 275 Spring Street,
Redbank, New Jersey. Okay. People don't fight over Yankee flags or Mets flags. They don't kill each other over it. People died for this country. My grandfather served in a service. My
father served in a service. My uncle served in a service. We live on American soil. That flag that gets raised is for the ones that didn't come home. The ones that are home,
pull that string and raise that flag for the ones that can't. You see it? We're Americans. We don't go and raise Chinese flags or Russian flags on their soil, right?
It's considered disrespectful. And that's what an American flag is, something to respect. People die for that flag. Families never get to see their other part of their family again. It's not about religion.
This is about a country that needs to support the people in its country. By raising that flag, we all become one. We're all Americans, right? >> We live in the United States. Some weren't born here, but they came here
for a better life, right? And that's opportunity. That's what America does. We give people opportunity. Those flags don't need to be raised there. You know, and I know, sir, as an American, that's disrespectful
for every person that has had a service member pass, doesn't have a leg, fights every day just to wake up. PTSD. You guys don't get it. >> And we keep sending soldiers. You know
why? For money. You raised them flags for money. We don't see that money. We don't see the arcade we used to go to. Nothing. All we see is, no offense,
people don't even talk to us. People just walk by. We say hello, they ignore us, but they get theirs and we don't get ours. That's not American. We fought for what we got, our land.
You guys don't see that. You hurt a lot of people. You got to wrestle with that. Not me. [Applause]
>> Matthew McCrinos, 597 Woodgate, Long Branch. This is such an emotional topic. Um, Long Branch, I'm born. I'm raised here. I met you with the Brighton years ago. You were way younger. I had hair.
I remember being a kid watching Pure Village burn. I was at little league practice. I got on my BMX bike and hightailed it over there and I could see all the filt of fish packages floating in the ocean that day and I knew that
something really terrible had happened to Long Branch. But I would never really understand the scope of it. It took years to watch this develop. I watched my friends who paid their taxes for years have their streets blighted. Light bulbs wouldn't be
changed by this city. Curbs weren't fixed. Potholes weren't fixed. Those people paid taxes. And some of them were removed from their homes at gunpoint. And that went all the way to the Supreme Court where we lost. I remember playing
so many shows, raising money so that we could support the cause to save our own town. You told us this was for our benefit. That's what eminent domain is for. There's no hospital there. There's no bridge that got built.
This is private enterprise for money, for a tax base, and for people who aren't from here. And now anyone's got the right to move to wherever they want to move. and anyone can sell their home. But we pledged allegiance to that flag
right there. Every single person in this room when this meeting started. Shame on us. Shame. I can't bring my son there because he understands there's a genocide
happening. My son's age is being targeted by drones. Doctors are being murdered. Journalists are being killed. The International Court of Justice says that Benjamin Netanyahu is a war
criminal and we have to walk under his flag every day. If you want to go for a jog, are you kidding? We can do better than this. Why are there six of those flags? If you want to be inclusive, fly somebody else's flag, too.
Why are there six of those flags and only one representing this country? Never mind all the other people that live in Long Brancha. You don't see my flag flying there, do you? I'm American. We came here for a better life. My
parents worked hard for us to have the chance. I got scholarships. I went to college. I did something. I bought back in the town that I believed in. My taxes are going through the roof and my quality of life is diminished
greatly. And it's true. People don't talk to us. We say hello. We welcome people. I'm the pariah. These are my streets. I was born in Mammoth Medical. My mother lives a half mile from my home. I plan on seeing her
through her old age like you did, Glenn, cuz that's the right thing to do. There are people speeding up and down our streets and there is no policing for it and they're not locals. And I've been told that we can't police
it because we don't have the budget or the police. Really, where h how is that possible? And where's my tax rebate if those police aren't being paid anymore? Shouldn't that be reflected in our taxes? Instead, my taxes go up by thousands every year.
It's shameful. All of it is shameful. The genocide is shameful. The fact that we live in America and we're representing some foreign nation, which is not our ally. They don't have some special favored na nation status.
They're the size of New Jersey with a GDP of maybe Argentina. Get real. Represent Long Branch. Represent America. Represent your constituents. You should all be voted out.
[Applause] >> Hi, my name is Robert Luben. I live in Ocean Township on Dwight Drive. I'm a full-time resident here since 2020. I've owned a house here since
1990. I think I've never been in a room with so much hate in my entire life. People here talk about the First Amendment, but they seem to think the First Amendment only applies to things that they like. The First Amendment is to give the freedom of speech to
everybody. You don't need the First Amendment for things that you agree with. You need to honor the First Amendment when things that you don't agree with are said or displayed. When you talk about the lies that we
hear here, I have to just mention I was recently reading a book about World War II and one of the big lies that Germany made. >> I'm sorry. I'm going to stop everyone one more time and remind again that the
comments in the audience need to stop. One of the big lies that Germany made to turn their people against the Jewish people of Europe was they said the Jews were committing genocide against the German people. It seems that the lies just keep getting
repeated and repeated and repeated to turns people's minds. As for Israel not being our greatest ally in the world and for sure in the Middle East, look at the Middle East. The Middle East is run by dictators and despots and the only thing that the
Middle Arab countries export is terrorism. If it wasn't for the oil, that whole Middle East would be a zero. Israel is the only country in the Middle East that with no natural resources at all
leads the world in too many categories to even discuss. As far as only one American flag being up there, I think every other flag is Israeli and every other flag is American. And if someone is hurt or upset by walking past a flag, I feel
very sorry for their self-esteem. And also, as far as the USS Liberty, which I was a child in 196, not a child, I was young in 1967. Whenever Israel does anything one item, it's blown out of proportion. If you
want to compare attacks on Americans by other nations that they're not at war with, I can mention that I was at my office in Brooklyn, New York on September 11th, 2001. I happened to work right near Nor Avenue
in Brooklyn. I don't if anyone knows where Norin Avenue is, but if you look down Norin Avenue before September 11th, 2001, you're able to see the World Trade Towers. The road was perfectly straight and the towers were right at the end of
that road. After September 11th, you couldn't see those towers anymore. The USS Cole was a warship of America which was attacked by Arabs. When Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait,
America sent soldiers to protect Kuwait. There was a barracks in Lebanon where they had American soldiers say whatever the word is where they stay and it was bombed. I think 244 Americans were killed.
So if you want to compare one accident by an Israeli army against the global impact of Arab and Palestinian terror, there's just no comparison. As far as genocide is concerned, if
anyone took the time and effort to read what the Hamas leaders say, their charter, their Bible, their constitution, their constitution says that we will kill all Jews,
not all Israelis, not all soldiers, they will kill all Jews. And on October 7th, the mighty Hamas army, who did they attack? They attacked a music festival. Can you imagine? I don't know how old
anyone here is. If you were at Woodstock in 1969 and an army came and started shooting the teenagers there, would that army be praised? A music festival. They attacked. The brave soldiers attacked a music
festival. They kidnapped babies. They murdered babies. This is the people that some people in this audience are supporting and praise. You could shake your head all you want. There's only one country in the world
that stands by America consistently all the time. >> Thank you, sir. >> And it's certainly not France or England or Australia or Canada. >> Sir, your time is expired. >> I'm done. Excuse [Applause]
me, sir. There's a line. >> I didn't know there was a line. >> Yeah. Please, please, sir. >> Yeah. >> They were waiting patiently, but they they formed a line, which is probably the best way to do it. So, >> good evening everyone. My name is Ahmed
Hassabala. I live in Neptune, New Jersey. I just want to ladies and gentlemen quiet please. >> I just want to comment on uh some of the >> sir you could raise the mic a little bit please. >> I want to comment on some of the things
my uh previous uh speaker said about Arabs. Uh I'm originally I was born in Jersey City but I'm originally Arabic Egyptian. I'm very familiar with the all this conflict. That Israeli flag represents colonialism. The two blue
lines have nothing. That's the Euphrates River in Iraq. The other blue line is the Nile River in Egypt. They're a colonial state that has nothing to do with American values. What we stand for is freedom, justice for all. They have
nothing in common with us. Six flags on our soil for that means that we're occupied for for a lot of us. That looks like they own our government. They own our uh politicians. They own our everything. They do that in the Middle
East, too. Palestine was a beautiful place before Israel. There was no Israel. There should have never been an Israel. That wasn't their land. The Palestine was the It was welcoming. It had Jews. It had Christians. It had everybody. Everybody was welcome. This is my Christian brother. This is my
Jewish brother. We all lived in peace. These people came with Nazi mentality and performed Nazi activities on Middle Eastern land. And we support it with our tax money. My friend is asking where our tax money goes. It goes to them to kill
Arabs. For what? It's not serving Americans. It's not serving anybody. Why are six flags flying over our land? Six Israeli colonialist disgusting. The meaning behind them is disgusting.
Israel is a disgusting being. It's a disgusting entity. It does not uh uh it doesn't stand for anything human. It's all racism. They if you're a Christian, they'll spit on you. If
you're a Muslim, they'll kill you. It's in their religion. They're indoctrinated this from when they're little kids. All I wanted to say is take the flags off. It's disrespectful. [Applause]
Good evening everyone. My name is Rice. >> Hello. >> Um, >> lots of people here tonight. We don't get this much attention in Long Branch City Council meetings. Um, obviously there's a moment happening here. I did not come here to speak about
that. I actually um it's not lost on me. I actually came to speak about an event that we're having at our library um in conjunction with food not bombs and me personally it's not lost on me
that this is an event um is uh in conjunction with the national day of mourning which commemorates the genocide, land theft and oppression of indigenous people. So I am just going to read from the flyer because that's what I came
here for. Um, and it's pretty interesting to see this much engagement in Long Brbridge. Um, also want to say that Jersey Shore Food Not Bombs serves free vegan meals to everybody. Everyone is welcome regardless where you come
from, your income or anything. They serve free vegan groceries in Long Branch on Wednesdays on and in Lakewood on Fridays and in Asbury Park on Sundays. So, I'm just going to read from the flyer. Also, good evening to everyone except
Charlie because I always say that. So, this Saturday um at 10:00 a.m. Jersey Shore Food Not Bombs is presenting Walking the Path Together: Indigenous Heritage, Civic Engagement, and Community Power in New Jersey. The event starts at 10:00 a.m. It's free and
everyone is welcome. Teresa Vivar is the founder and executive director of Lazos the Medicanai UNIDA, a women-led Mexican-American and indigenous advocacy organization based in New Brunswick. Uh, Teresa deeply emphasizes indigenous
heritage, noting that many Mexican origin families came from people of the First Nations. Uh, people of the First Nations, people um, the first people. and she works to build bridges between indigenous communities, immigrant communities, and the broader society in
New Jersey. I hope you can all attend this event. I want to thank the Long Branch Public Library and everyone that supports it. It is a stronghold in our society and it's one of the things I'm most proud of here in Long Branch and I
hope everyone has a nice evening and gets along wonderfully. Thank you. Good evening, Mayor Palone and members of the city council. My name is Emily Hideay, and I've been a proud resident of Mammoth County for over 40 years.
During that time, I've come to deeply value the diversity, warmth, and safety that define our community. It is precisely because of that deep appreciation that I must speak out against the troubling rise in anti-semitism. This growing hatred cannot be tolerated
or ignored. Anti-semitism is not only an assault on Jewish people. It's a warning sign of moral decay and societal decline. History has shown that when such hatred is allowed to spread, it corrods the
very fabric of a community. Long Branch has always stood for inclusion, respect, and safety for all its residents. I urge our city leadership to take a clear and decisive stand against anti-semitism in all its forms to reaffirm that our community
will not allow this rot to take hold in the places we hold so dear. Thank you for your time and your commitment to protecting the values that make Long Branch a place we are proud to call home. God bless America and God bless
Israel. Hello, my name is Nina Prella. I am a resident of Long Branch homeowner and my children attend the Long Branch School system. Sorry if I seem a little nervous, but I have been recently diagnosed with CPTTSD and I'm going to explain why.
Is it okay if my friend Rich comes up with me and stands with me? Can you come with me? Sorry, I wasn't going to speak, but um my stepson asked me to. So, and this isn't I don't look, you can
keep the flags up, but I'm going to tell you what it what it does to me when I see them. What do I think when I see them? And it's not against any person, religion, or I have no problems with anybody from any background. You should know I moved to Long Branch because of
the diversity. I moved here in 1989 and I bought a house cuz we all everybody from every walk of life, every race, religion, we live together. We didn't have these problems, right? But um I stopped going to the beach because
and I don't know if you can see my phone, but when I see those flags, this is what I think of. This is my niece, Leanne Khalif. This is the last picture taken of her.
She was killed in October 19th, 20 uh 2023. My family's home was bombed. My husband's family's home was bombed. She was 10 years old. >> Where was she? >> She They were in their house. They were
minding their business. >> She in Gaza, I'm sorry. in uh Bet Lea, Gaza, which is the north, which is completely decimated now. Um this is my husband who I can't be with because he's
not allowed to leave and I'm not allowed to enter. He lives in a concentration camp. Do not get it. Don't It's a concentration camp. I speak to him every day. I'm I watch actual massacres happen
while I've been on the phone with him on real time like on a video chat. I've seen people shredded in pieces, cut into um he was standing somewhere. Um a minute later where he was standing, a
man was in pieces in that massacre. Um, my nephew who has Down syndrome was severely injured and had shrapnel that went through his side. Um, I don't know if you can see this. This is my nephew Shiraj. He was um, badly badly
injured. He's okay now, but he did have internal bleeding. The man that was carrying him is a good family friend. And of course, you can't see because it's very far away. The man in this picture is severely skeletal. This was during the height of the famine. He was
just complete skin and bones. And this man saw my family and picked up my nephew and carried him into the ambulance and carried him into the hospital despite the fact that he was not eating. So um um so I can't leave. I
mean he can't leave and I can't go there. So we're just separated most mornings. Um what did I do the first thing in the morning? First thing I would do in the morning is immediately go into fight or flight and check to make sure my husband's alive. Is he alive? Is he alive? It's a little bit
better now. It's not great, but with the ceasefire, as they call it, I could sleep again. But most days, I just woke up. First thing I do, go down a list. Is my husband alive? Are my grandchildren alive? Or my is my family? Then go in a list of people. I check on a make make
sure they didn't die overnight because they are bombing people indiscriminately through the night. I've listened to the bombs dropping, you know, and uh this is my my grandson. My grandson was born. >> Oh,
>> without without a father because my son-in-law in OC I'm sorry. >> I'm sorry. >> Excuse me. I >> Yeah. >> So again, I'm going to make this comment. Uh the speaker has her time. She's entitled to some respect. Whether you agree or disagree, we're going to
ask everyone to remain silent and allow her the opportunity to tell her story. >> Thanks. This is my grandson, um, Aean. Um, his father was my my son-in-law was killed in October 2024. He was in a shelter. They were sheltering there.
And, um, he was killed. So, my grandson was born without a father. And this is my husband. They were not, he was just recently in the hospital, but uh, this is my other grandson, Jude. you know, they won't know their father because her father um was
I saw the video. I didn't want to see it. So, the first day of the uh ceasefire in January, what my husband did was he went to where their bodies were and he buried the remains of um my um you know, my son-in-law, his father,
and uh his brother. They were just the remains had been out. So, I'm just telling you when I see that I think it's just inappropriate to have those flags there because it really represents a lot of >> minutes. Thank you. And I just wish just just the American flag with flag with
>> Thank you. My name is Sammy Misrai. I live at 150 Mammoth Road in Ocean Township. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak. I've never spoken at a council meeting before. Um so I'm not really prepared, but I wanted to come and speak
because I believe that the motivation um for this motion is is hatred more than anything else. And I wanted to be able to speak and and um
and have you know that not everybody feels the same way. and and I didn't want uh hatred um to be the loudest voice that you hear. Um I'm an American. I'm a resident of Ocean Township. I'm
proud I'm a proud American. I'm not Israeli, but I'm Jewish. Um and I'll tell you that Jews are not feeling safe lately. Um according to the FBI, um 60% of hate crimes are against Jews.
um uh Jewish hate violence against Jews uh is up 350% in the last in the last two years. Um so when I see the flag, it doesn't represent only Israel to me. It
represents Jewish identity. And when I see the flags, I feel that this is Ocean Township um Long Branch, as you said, is a welcoming place where people can feel can feel safe. When I saw the flags come down, I was
worried. I was worried that the haters have taken over. And um and that's really what motivated me to to to come and speak. Um I'm a refugee
from Egypt and uh Egypt expelled Jews not because they were Israeli but because they were Jewish. Okay. So when people say that uh Zionism and and anti-semitism are not the same thing, it's not true.
So all I want to all I want you to know is that that flag represents Jewish identity and it represents safety for Jews. Whereas with Jews, I'm I'm a practicing Jew. I don't wear yamaka because I'm I'm intimidated to wear yarma.
>> Um because I don't feel safe everywhere. I feel I feel that Long Branch is a welcoming place. There's a substantial Jewish uh uh um population that comes to Long Branch and and and and they feel safe in in in Long Branch and they
should continue to feel safe. By you taking down those flags, it gives it sends a message to them that maybe they're not so safe. Maybe they are the the minority and they should and they should worry. And I just don't want hatred to win the day.
Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Hi, my name is Marlene Vega. Um, I live in Long Branch, New Jersey. And I just want to say that Wikipedia isn't facts. Anybody can go on Wikipedia and edit anything.
Um, why is it that if you're opposed to something, it's automatically anti-semitic? And what do you call it when people in the crowd are laughing about someone sharing their story about their family
in Gaza dying? What do you call that? >> Um, I've written some questions that I have. Did the city of Long Branch even consider the views or stance that the people of Long Branch have when it comes to the genocide caused by Israel to the
Palestine people or the meaning behind those flags being paraded in our community against our wishes? How does the city determine which cultural groups are allowed to display their flags and how many? I'm Puerto
Rican. Why isn't the Puerto Rican flag displayed? Has the council considered how this display impacts community unity? If one cultural group can display multiple flags in a city space, are
other groups afforded the same right? It doesn't seem like that to me. I would appreciate if you guys take the flags down. This is America. Thank you. >> Yeah. Hi, my name is Rihanna Rangi and I am a
Long Branch resident through and through. Uh, I came here tonight to um speak about some concern about an event that I am hosting in Madawan that I've been trying to promote um currently on Facebook and other social media platforms. And I've been told by several
members of the community that since my event uh let me just explain my event first. So the event that I'm hosting in conjunction with the Canopar dispensary in Madawan, New Jersey, we're hosting a food drive event and we're donating boxes to families in need. Each box
contains all of the ingredients and everything necessary for those families to feed 10 people per box. And so we have been trying to raise awareness to be able to have people sign up for these boxes. And it's it's been a little bit
of a problem being able to promote this in Long Branch because a lot of the community members who have been posting on Facebook and whatnot have been declining my posts and been saying that Long Branch does not support the sale of unregulated goods. Well, I'm not trying to promote the sale of unregulated goods
since we've legalized cannabis sales in New Jersey back in 2020, but you know, tonight being at this meeting, I it really really brings awareness to what is happening in our town. And you know,
I I have fought for many many years for cannabis legalization. and everyone else in this room has another vision that they're seeking to, you know, do better for the community. And just because something that was legalized in our state,
each town has their own opinion on it. I completely understand that. And I completely understand that each town has their own laws. But Long Branch did set laws into place that allowed the sales and the education and the promotion of cannabis goods. And the fact that I'm
getting push back from that is kind of disheartening. And I really just wanted to address that and make that aware tonight. And I just wanted to make something aware tonight. I had to take a phone call outside real quick while someone was speaking. And from the other
side, several people had said goodbye. Goodbye. Goodbye. And I would do anything for anyone in this room no matter what their stance is on anything in life because that is the person that I am. And it was just very very heart disheartening and hateful to know that I
had a completely different stance and outlook. And I was attending to personal problems outside for something that was for the community and for people that are in need. And I was told goodbye
goodbye from people in the audience just because I didn't want to be rude and I didn't want to look at my phone or take a phone call in the middle of the audience. So I just wanted to raise awareness that cannabis is legal. Cannabis is here. We are hosting an event at the Cannabar dispensary in
Madawan, New Jersey on November 25th. We're handing out boxes. Um, if anyone is interested in spreading the word, please see me, follow me on Instagram, literally eat, and I'll be able to send you all the information. And we have promotional flyers available as well.
And I'm going to continue to try and post on Facebook and get the word around because no family should go unfed this Thanksgiving or the holiday season. Thank you very much. Thank you. My name is John Bistus and I live at 6
Bellshaw Avenue, Eatontown, New Jersey. Just a short thing I want to say is uh the characterization by people in the room about hate. This is not about hate, okay? We do not want the flag even of
our allies hanging up over our land. That's it. You want to put a Mammoth County flag up there on one of the a New Jersey flag, a Long Branch flag. There's plenty of things. Or a flag that represents members of the community, not
just one member of the community. That's all I have to say. Good evening, uh, Mayor Palone and the council. Uh, my name is Ryan Pena. I live at 637 Campbell A. Uh, I just want to start by, uh, saying my grandfather
and my grand my grandmother came from Italy. Uh they lived on Exchange Place and um my grandfather was a plumber and uh my grandmother used to do cold calling for Frank Palone when he when
election time came around. And um I enjoy riding my bicycle and my my two little boys, seven and five, through Pier Village mostly every day during the summer. And um to have my little seven-year-old look up at those flags
and say, "Daddy, why is the American flag uh not as high as, you know, the blue flags?" Not knowing about the half staff, but just knowing that the American flag was not, you know, equal or outnumbered by the the blue uh flags
um you know, put a sting in me. and um you know all this going on. It it's it's not about hate. It's about you know you know uh the integrity of Long Branch. I too grew up in Long Branch went to the pier that burned down and um all I'm
saying is you know let's gets back to the morals and the integrity of of what Long Branch used to be. you know, uh, you go to Asbury Park, uh, you know, yeah, you have to pay to park by the beach, but look at all those roads. Those roads are all paved. They're all
nice. I ride my bike and all my family rides the bikes. Our roads need taken care of. Um, I think there's more issues going on that need to be addressed than than hate. But um you know just as a
small uh you know hardworking taxpaying citizen from Long Branch you know it it's it raises awareness uh that other people are you know seeing so for for me to come on out and and voice my
opinion. We can do better. Um so please you know uh do better. Thank you. Good evening, ladies and gentlemen of the town council. My name is Michael Smill, Long Branch President. First and foremost, I'd like to thank God for being here and every single man and
woman that ever put on that uniform to serve this country, defend this great nation. It's through that American flag that our diversity, equity, inclusion represents. That flag canvases all faces, all souls that put America and
Americans first. Now, we seem to hear a lot of deflection about hate speech and anti-semitism. That couldn't be farther from the truth. We see what's going on. The fact is the blood that was spilled was from American troops.
Brave men and women that never made it home to their families, to their loved ones, ones that were stuck in cages, ones that we had to spend special units in to go and get out. They fought for that American flag and they died for it.
You go down to Pier Village, yesterday being Veterans Day, not today. Whoever said that, yesterday, the day before that, 250 years of the Marine Corps, one American flag is flying. There's no prisoner of war mission in action flag
flying underneath that American flag. And that American flag, regardless of what other flag is flown with it, should always be flown slightly higher, if not to the top of the mast. It's at half mass. We accept that. Diversity, equity, inclusion, the backbone, the force, the
labor that built this country. There's not one Latino flag up there. There's not a single flag from any country in Africa represented up there. When the first people come down to Long Branch to get to that public beach that they've got to pay for, what do they see? It's
not a real good sign of diversity, equity, and inclusion. That's not a good sign for everybody. We see one American flag. We can do way better. There's so many things that I would like to say and I don't want to get sidetracked,
but the fact is our better people than me have laid down the ultimate price to defend our right to speak here tonight. That American flag is the only diversity, equity, and inclusion that we need.
And if you truly want to practice what you preach and not be hypocrites, let's see some diversity. Let's see other flags down there. And then you will see that this is not about hate. This is not about anti-semitism. This is
about moving forward. We can't go back as a country, but we move forward. And we move forward together. All of us together, regardless of what side you stand on, regardless of what color tie you put on in the morning, and regardless of who you go and vote for at the voting booth. But I will remember
you go to the voting booth and you're given that freedom again by people that have paid the ultimate price for you to go do that. And we have voted. We have spoke out. And that American flag is what we speak
out to. This is America. And in a town where everybody is supposed to be equal, I don't see equal going on right now. If you truly believe what you're saying,
show a little bit more to the other side. I want to thank the speakers that came up here before us. That bright young girl from high school in Long Branch, she looks like she's got a real promising future. If you post up one side, that's going to
send a message to people that maybe they might not want to try farther. Maybe they might stay where they're at. Maybe they might not aim for the stars. And even if they miss, they still hit high. Maybe those flags will keep them to aim low because they see the people that came before them and all that they've
sacrificed. And they might say one day, "What is it worth? What is it worth?" They might not fight to be here. You put America first. Anybody that comes here that's proud to be an American that has left the places that they've left around the world.
They've come here for a better life to build a bridge for their families. You hear them. You hear them in their speech. Proud to be in America. Proud to be Americans trying to learn the language. up until recently wasn't necessary, but they know that speaking the English
language will help them along. Not necessary because we are all willing to communicate with everybody and get them by. They're a guest here and they should look to contribute to America. They should look to give
something back to America. And even if they didn't know those that >> five minutes, >> thank you for your time. I'll see you next meeting. [Applause]
Madame clerk requesting one minute notification. Vincent Leapour, 33 Ocean Terrace, Long Branch. I'll be dropping a bomb tonight. I'd stated several months ago the authorities were looking at Long
Branch and compliments of the authority. The American eagle has landed on the government of Long Branch. In this filthy, dirty, corrupt government. As I speak tonight,
a meeting is taking place as instructed at the Elberon Firehouse where it is being disclosed that a prominent member of that company, closely affiliated with this city
administration, has been accused of taking tens upon tens of thousands of dollars taking note of the fact that a portion
of the Elberon firehouse had been in the past signed over to the Elberon first aid squad which this city government contributes to.
It was at the Elberon first aid squad where a ranking member had been caught stealing, but it was covered up. And that caught and covered up ranking member
was replaced by a current ranking member who assisted in the cover up. For many years, there have been irregularities in the Long Branch Fire Department fund
drives. Following the Long Branch Fire Department fund drive scandal 25 years ago, safeguards were put into place as far as reporting requirements,
but the city guidelines were never enforced by the city government. If what I stated tonight isn't already bad enough, another bomb has been dropped on the city. It has been learned
that stolen goods from the former Fort Mammoth wound up on the shelves of the firehouses throughout Long Branch, West Long Branch, and Mammoth Beach.
And this is independent of the stolen goods that wound up on the shelves from Pikatini Arsenal. Stay tuned, Long Branch. You're going to be in for a ride for the next few months
to expose the core corruption of what this city government is all about. On R 215, we have six firehouses here. I caught you last year with rent
payments. to a firehouse that wasn't even being rented out because you owned it as a museum. We have one company, Oliver Byron, that's now in Neptune
along with two other companies. The money has not been spread out evenly at six. You changed tonight's resolution from rentals because you couldn't get away with rentals. I caught you a year ago. >> One minute notification
>> to contributions. Sickening. As far as the resolution concerning the first aid squad in Elberon and the development agreement, I'm requesting that attorney Reon immediately be fired.
The original version of that on Friday as that resolution came out was disgraceful describing the city of Long Branch as a township.
further stating that the matter was going to be approved by the council of the township of Marlboro. From my experience, Elberon is not in Marlboro.
The city attorney has made mistakes time and time again. >> 5 minutes. >> His termination is expected immediately. junk government. [Applause]
>> Hello, I'm David Toiel. Um, I'm from Brick, New Jersey. Um, I'm originally from Bethlehem, Palestine. So, the reason I came up here, I have not prepared a speech, but I want to talk about my
experience. you know, every time I see uh Israel flag, I grew up hating, you know, Israel because I can tell you what happened in my experience. Um, you know, like
I live in the West Bank, which is the other side of Gaza. So, I can't imagine to compare what's happening in uh Gaza to my town. But I can tell you like when I was a child, I'm 32 right now and I
moved to United States when I was 12 years old. So I can still remember to this day when I was 10 years old, I was going out and playing hide and seek with my friends and then all of a sudden we hearing bombs. Uh we hearing the Israeli
soldiers go in the street and say, "Do not go out or we or you will get killed." And at this time we heard bombs from tank and I saw a man coming and he uh he
was um he went to our house because he wanted to hide because the solder was were chasing him. He told us that he was just driving his aunt home and it was bad timing. So they were chasing him
and it just everyone was scared and my sister was with me at that time. So the Israelis were following him and then they couldn't find him because he was hiding in our house and then um
my sister was taken by the Israeli soldiers say we want this man. Where is it? Did you see where is this man? We're not gonna let you uh have my sister. We're gonna kidnap her. Otherwise, if you
don't find this man, then we're gonna take her. And everyone all over the neighbors were talking about, you know, uh she she doesn't have to do anything with this. We don't know who this man is, you know. It was just
Yeah. So, just it's it's very terrifying. So when I see those flags, I'm really disgusted because, you know, it's it's not right. It's not right. This is
America and we should, you know, honor America. But still, um, I don't think, uh, Israeli flags should be there and, uh, they should be taken out. That's all I have to say. This is just part of my experience. I have a lot more stories to
tell, but I know I don't have much time. So that's all I'm gonna say. Thank you. [Applause] I'm in Bangul from Long Branch, New Jersey. Some of you know me. I'm on the
green team of uh Long Branch. I come here today to express uh my opposition to those Israeli flags flying in Long Branch. Uh it's an insult to the American people. Uh we are a country
that uh in our constitution it equates all people. It every every person, every race, every ethnicity, every religion uh is considered equal. And yet here we are supporting a country that uh uh espouses
uh Jewish supremacy. All other religions, all other races, all other ethnicities are considered uh secondass and even worse they are um relegated to live in concentration camps. they uh
that are um tightening uh by the day by the time uh people's land is being confiscated in the West Bank. Uh their uh olive orchards are being burned, their houses are being burned, their um
um schools are being torn down by uh the Israeli army and the settlers. uh the uh uh in in conjunction with the genocide in Gaza um uh the Palestinians have suffered long enough and now you're
rubbing it in our face that um we are a colony of Israel. We have become a colony of Israel. The these flags basically are rubbing in our face that we are subjugated by Israel. We are controlled by Israel and we're subjects
to that country. We pay six thou six million$6 billion dollar every year to Israel. That's aside from the 26 billion that we gave away for the for the genocide to be committed in uh Gaza. U
every year we have to give uh and and it's presented uh with a a veneer saying that's an aid. But the reality of it is our colonial payments to Israel. We don't have a choice about whether we're
going to give Israel six billion dollars. Not only are we giving $6 billion to Israel every year, we're giving about 1.5 billion to the Egyptian bill uh dictator so that he's less hostile to Israel. And we're giving 1.5 billion to to Jordan so that they are
less hostile to Israel. Um and somebody mentioned uh 911. Well, 911 happened because of our unconditional support of Israel. This country is suffering gravely from its association with Israel. Um, we need to cut this tie. We
need to become our independent uh country. We have to get back uh uh our uh um own we have to uh abide by our own uh constitution. We shouldn't be supporting a country that commits uh
genocide and practices apartate. So we we need to get those flags down. Uh uh I mean it's very easy to buy people. Yes, we know too many people sell out so easily in this country, but you have an obligation to this country
as well. Whether you're Jewish or uh or not, you you you are citizens of this country. your obligation is to this country and not to any other foreign country. Scalia um this the scoundrel uh
said uh when he ruled on citizens united he made an exception to to uh to money speech uh business uh so except he said except for foreign people who give money to to uh to elected officials. Well,
Israel has gone around that. So now as a result of that, we have become a colony of Israel. Um so we're paying the price of that horrible uh decision that that he wrote the um the the uh brief about.
Um so we we need to get back to our own um um our own um constitution. We need to uphold every race, every ethnicity, every religion to be equal. Nobody is should be considered um a separate and
we shouldn't become a fieldalty to a country that doesn't abide by those rules. We don't have an Egyptian flag flying. Somebody said that they were their family was um um thrown out of Egypt. Well, we don't have Egyptian flags flying. We don't have Saudi flags
flying. Uh thank God we don't have we don't have any other flag flying. We should be flying the American flag and uh and our uh our um >> five minutes of uh our uh allegiance to be with the United States of America.
>> Thank you. >> Good evening, mayor and council members. Uh my name is Antonio Luchia. I reside in South Amboy, New Jersey. um clearly far away from here, but I visit Long Branch pretty often. I come to surf and enjoy the the beauty of our our country
and all the freedom it has to offer. Um I just have a very quick simple reminder to everyone that the American flag represents freedom and very basically all-inclusiveness to every walk of life
that we see. Um that's what's really great about it. Just it's that simple. Without flying any other flag alongside it, it includes all other countries to be invited to come and live free.
Excuse me. It's but it's it is that simple. And we don't need to fly other flags alongside. If there are other flags, we might might want to consider if those flags are involved in altercations with other countries or whatever is going on in the world. It's it's a very simple message and that's
all I want to remind everyone. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Hello, my name is Raya Ali and I live in Brick, but I was born here in Long Branch. And I am up here tonight because I have watched politics surrounding the
state of Israel corrupt not just national politics, but now it's affecting my neighborhood and the town in which I grew up in. I go into debt just for existing. I went to college. I have two degrees. I also have a lifelong
disorder that I do not get coverage for. Meanwhile, my taxes go for the Israelis to have free healthcare and free college. And I just want to say that it is getting late and I see people are leaving the room. I understand that you
council members have to be here to listen to us. And I hope that you know that that understands that the people that are still here are the people who care about this issue. We have seen people from Egypt, from Pakistan, from Italy, from Palestine, Brazil, all
represented in this room tonight and not one of their flags are hanging up on our pier. We have bought out to the state of Israel and we are continuing to hang a symbol of hatred and genocide above our beautiful shores that used to welcome
immigrants from all places. I see I live in brick. I see the beautiful communities that the Jewish people are creating. I drive through their streets. I watch their children play in their yard. I watch their houses. They are these mo the most gorgeous large places
that you can live and raise a family. And I want that for everyone in this room. But it is getting severely it is getting severely harder to do because we are being bought out consistently rather than being rather than representing the people who actually grew up in this in
this county in this state and under the flag under this American flag which somebody else mentioned. We all swore, we all pledge allegiance to when we got here. I don't I if you want to hang an Israeli flag, fine. Where where is
everyone else represented in that? Where are our people represented from this community who are still in this room? The people still in this room at 9:00 at night standing up here begging you guys to listen to us. This man, uh, Jeff has
been here for weeks trying to get you guys to listen. And it takes going viral on Tik Tok for people to drive hours to come down here and speak to you guys about how this is actively affecting our community. And I don't and during a time
I mentioned that I don't have healthcare while our our government is fighting to make healthcare more expensive. Everywhere we go trying to live has become more expensive and the people that have grown up in this in this town are no longer thriving. The streets
aren't being taken care of. The people are being forgotten. We have people mocking uh victims of genocide as they come up here and bravely tell their stories. And I'm not asking you to remove the flags. I'm not asking you to stop accepting
money from Israel. I'm just asking you to listen to our voices and maybe even consider that we are passionate enough to come out here on a Thursday night and talk to you late into the evening about why this is hurting our community. Thank you.
>> Anyone else? Hi, my name is Flora Gallagher. I reside here in Lone Branch. Listen, I love my Jewish people, my Palestinian. I love everyone, but my son is a veteran. He's on the MOS smile. When he came back, he
couldn't believe there were Israel flags. He's like, "Mom, I'm a veteran and you have these flags here." Yes, that's my son and I'm proud of him. He's a police officer in Sonteo. We
should only have one flag. That's it. That's all we want is just one flag to represent us American. That's my son. We didn't see him for years. He was gone. He's back and he gets to see those flags. He didn't go he didn't go out of
the country to be airborne with the UN so he Israel flag could be up there. He went for the American flag. That flag right there. Thank you. >> Thank you very much. Um would anyone else like to speak?
[Music] >> Okay, ladies and gentlemen, um truly thank you for um for for participating in this part of the media. I'm going to ask right now to have a motion to close the public partition participation
portion of the meeting. >> So moved. Second. >> All in favor? >> I >> opposed. And uh I would like to ask if some comments wants to be made. >> Yes. Um thank you council president. So there's been a lot of comments um said
today uh wildly interesting uh and certainly very passionate. Uh, however, there were many of the comments were based on legal theories that were inaccurate. So, I I think it's important that we straighten those out so we can kind of continue forward. First things first, Pier Village is a privately owned
property. It is not city property. It's not owned or operated by the city of Long Branch. Uh, the fact that it was procured years and years and years ago initially through eminent domain does not make it a public forum. It is Excuse me, sir.
Um the purpose uh when you take a piece of property through eminent domain so everyone understands there has to be a public purpose not a public forum. The public purpose on that point was to revitalize a piece of land that had not been generating any kind of tax revenue
and was not productive for the township. It was it was taken through eminent domain for the purpose of redevelopment. This is a common practice throughout the state. At that time, the property was then transferred to a private organization. The city of Long Branch did not put up
any of these flags. It does not control the flags and it has no ability to regulate which flags go up on private property. To ask us to do that would be no different than to ask us to regulate the flag on your neighbor's front lawn. So, as it pertains to eminent domain, it
is not a public form. uh and as a to go on to the first amendment and and there was a a a wonderful comment that was made earlier. I believe it was during the first speaker who said that we are not going to erase the first amendment. He's right. But the first amendment protects the entity that owns Pier
Village the same way it protects you. So while we appreciate everyone coming out today and by and large I thought everyone was wildly respectful minus a few uh everyone had their opportunity to make their opinions heard. That's their first amendment right. the the folks of Pier Village have their first amendment
right to and the city of Long Branch has no ability to regulate that. Um, so that's the the legal ramifications of what we are speaking out. But I and I cannot stress this enough because it was and I believe one of the other speakers asked multiple questions as to why on city property we would do this. It's not
city property. It's not public property. It's private property. And I hope that that clarifies everyone's position here. I understand that you may object to it. That is your right. But as a council, as a government, we have no right to
regulate what flags a private individual or a private citizen, a private corporation decides to put on their property. >> Thank you. >> Yeah, right. >> Thank you. >> Excuse me. >> Nobody believed you. >> You don't have to believe me, sir, but
I'm right. >> I would like Please, sir. >> Sir, your time is up. >> Your time is up. You had a chance to make your comment. We were respectful. Please, >> I would like to once again if please
be respectful of what we're trying to do here in terms of running this this meeting. I would like to ask if anyone else from the deis at this point would like to >> if I could also mention so a bunch of people stood up and uh spoke about the other flags. I can tell you that you know our city hall property here we have
two flag poles and right now I believe it's the Italian flag that's flying. Uh last month it was the Hispanic heritage. Before that we had Portuguese I believe. So every month we have a small little ceremony for whatever group and we actually hang a second flag almost every month. Sometimes you know two in a month
because there's just not enough months to do the different things. So on our property that we control we do do that and we invite small groups of people. You can go online and and take a look. That happens. Um, I just wanted to touch on one other thing. Um, only because, you know, one of the the first speaker
mentioned something. you know, we we never try and suppress anyone and and yes, the first speaker was visited by the police department, but you have to understand from our standpoint, uh after the first meeting was over, uh that individual came running back into city hall and went running up the stairs and
came in contact with a janitor that was in here that was very concerned because as he came up, all all that was said was, "Where's the mayor?" And then the the custodian said, "Oh, uh he's not here anymore." and he went running down the stairs and then running out the front door and running back. You know,
in in today's society, you guys see what happens. We have certain things. There's concerning behavior that we have to act on. If you have kids in school, if uh you know, you have people that work in public buildings, we have a responsibility to people that work here to make sure that everyone is safe. The
only contact that was made was to make sure that there was no nothing going further and that the people that were going to come here the next day to work were safe. That's all it was about. Thank you, Mr. Shai. Uh, and I would like to ask I think the mayor would like to make a comment.
>> Yes, I'd like to make a comment, please. Um, first off, good evening. Thank you for being here. And I'd like to say that as mayor of Long Branch, I'm proud to lead a city that celebrates diversity, inclusion, and respect. a city where
people of all backgrounds, faiths, and perspectives come together to build a stronger community. And one of the cornerstones of that community and of our entire nation, as been mentioned here several times this evening, is the
First Amendment. It guarantees that every American has the right to speak freely, to worship freely, to express their ideas without the fear of government censorship. These freedoms define who we are as a
democracy. They remind us that disagreement and debate are not signs of weakness, but of strength. But freedom of speech also comes with a profound responsibility.
The same rights that protect our voices should never be used as weapons to harm or divide. Now, in recent months and years, we've seen trouble a troubling rise in hate speech and anti-semitic incidents across
this country and even close to home. So, let me be clear. Anti-semitism, bigotry, and hate have no place in our city of Long Branch. We can and must draw a firm line between protecting free
expression and tolerating hate. The First Amendment gives us the right to speak, but our shared humanity calls us to speak with conscience, compassion, and respect. Long Grant stands united against all
forms of prejudice. We'll continue to support open dialogue as we have tonight, education, understanding, because the best answer to hate is not silence, but unity and
truth. So, let us continue to be a city that honors the First Amendment, not just by protecting speech, but by using our voices to lift one another up, to defend our neighbors, and to build the future defined by dignity and peace. So,
thank you all for being here tonight. May we all continue to work together to make Long Branch a bottle for both freedom and respect. Thank you. Thank you, mayor. And I think one of >> Yeah, Council President, if I may add, I
am supportive and agree with the mayor's statements and views on this matter. I want to thank him for speaking out, and I wholeheartedly agree with everything he has said on this issue. Thanks. >> Thank you, Councilman Ras. >> And with that, I'm going to continue
with our meeting. And now, um, ask Madame Clerk if there have been any changes to the list of resolutions. >> No changes have been made. I forgot. >> So, we can take the listed resolutions as the consent agenda. I need a motion. >> So, move. Second. >> Roll call, please. Mr. Rases?
>> Yes. >> Mr. Vieiraa? >> Yes. >> Mrs. Whittis? >> Yes. >> Mr. Dangler? >> Yes. >> Dr. Vote? >> Yes. >> Motion passed. >> Uh, applications, there are none. miscellaneous business for the good of
the order and we are going to start with Councilman Rasus. >> Yes. Thank you, Council President. I want to first uh thank um Yanni from May. >> Um ladies and gentlemen, if you could please leave the room if you want to continue to talk so we can continue the
meeting. >> We're not ad yet. Ladies and gentlemen, please if you are going to continue to talk, please leave the room. >> Thank you for your time. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. >> And we're going to continue with the
miscellaneous business for the good of the order. And Mr. Raz, Councilman Roses, if you could start us off. >> Thank you, Council President. Um, first I would like to thank uh Myani uh the student from Long Branch High School for making such a nice presentation uh commemorating Native American
Heritage Month. Also would like to express to express a thank you to Joe and Janet Merkodante for organizing the Columbus Day parade. It was quite an event this year. Also like to thank everyone for coming out this evening um and exercising the freedom of
expression. Um, we always like to hear everyone's views and opinions and I want to wish everyone a safe and uh, safe evening and see you in two weeks. Thank you. >> Thank you, Councilman Roses. Councilman Vieiraa, >> thank you. I want to thank everybody for
coming out tonight. We had a full house. We listened and everybody expressed themselves and that's what we're here for. And on another note, I want to thank um Annani for the Native American Heritage
from the Long Bunch Public Schools. Did a great job. And I also want to thank Joe and Jen for the Columbus State Parade. They've been doing an amazing job. They've been doing seems like forever. I want to thank for them. And with that, I want to say good night.
>> Thank you, Councilman Vieira. Councilwoman Whittis. >> Hi, good evening. Um, I would like to um take a moment and congratulate Glen Glenn Ras on your election and all those who are elected to serve our community,
county, and state. And I wish you all the best. And also, I would like to thank Joe and Janet for your hard work in bringing the Columbus State Parade to Long Branch every year. We appreciate all that you do. And I also just like to wish everyone um
thank everyone for your comments and I hope you have a great week. Thank you. Thank you, Councilwoman Whittis and Councilman Dangler. >> Yes. Um, thank everyone for coming out tonight. Um, like everyone else on this this um day
is we do um appreciate and are more than willing to sit and listen. Uh, as long as we keep it uh respectful. Your opinion is your opinion. Um, and we're not here to dispute how you feel, but we are here to keep it uh respectful so we
could um keep the meeting moving in orderly fashion. And on another note on this past week, as we know, the country was shut down the uh SNAPS/ food stamp program uh
which is sad thing. But the positive note is and congratulations to Long Branch Public Schools because um on t Wednesday I was just riding past the the middle school and they were out of school. the employees were out of school
and that the um again long branch board education set up so that there was food given out um to everyone who got was in line and the line was from the beginning of Bath Avenue all the way to um the high school parking lot. I know the city
of Long Branch was a part of it, but the um again the employees that were out there handing out food voluntarily, they were off. They did not have to do that. And it was it was a a good moment to see that even though there's politics involved that uh here in Long Branch and
of course all over probably New Jersey, uh there were organizations and people that cared enough to make sure that anybody that could get out um had something to eat to hold over until the uh SNAP benefits were reinstated. Thank you and God bless you all.
>> Thank you, Councilman Dangler and Mayor Mayor Palum. >> Thank you, Council President. I just had a few announcements. I'd like to make. So, the official public hearing regarding the closure of the Mammoth Medical Center Hospital in Long Branch is tomorrow, that's Thursday, November
13th, from 4 to 6:00 p.m. at the An Vogle Family Care and Wellness Center at Mammoth Mall. That's right off Wyoff Road in Eatontown. So, Mammoth Medical is transferring its license to Sutton Titan Falls, which means that Long Branch will no longer operate as an
acute care hospital. Please come out to this important hearing and stop our hospital from being closed. Yesterday, the city of Long Branch held its Veterans Day ceremonies in honor of those who've served our country. We want to thank all our veterans and all who
attended these events. In terms of some upcoming events, we have the City of Long Branch treelighting is December 6th at city hall at 5:00 pm. Join us for music performances, treats, and a visit from Santa. And the city of Lawn Branch
Monura Lighting is on December 17th at the Senior Center, also at 5:00 PM. Join us for light refreshments, crafts, music, and more. Uh, and finally, a full list of all our holiday events can be found on our website at longbranch.org
and our social media pages. Again, thank you everyone for coming out this evening. Thank you, Mayor Floone. And uh I would um just like to comment on um the way we've made it through the meet the
meeting tonight. There certainly were a few hiccups with it. few challenges, but overall in the city of Long Branch, we were able to have a very difficult, passionate
discussion, conversation, presentation that was respectful for the most part, help people learn and perhaps see things in a different way from whatever whatever your thoughts are. And I think
the ability to do that in a large group like this is something that um we can feel good about that we had that good good that that we were uh able to have a
uh a respectful uh discussion together. Let's keep doing that. Um and with that just one shout out. Um I love the group at mo at motions um our center for independent living. Um they had a
spectacular gala just last night. Um and uh it's all in support of um people who are working towards independence. It's an honor to be able to support them. The gayla was wonderful. Um with that we hope to see you again in two weeks to be
able to share our thoughts and our love for Long Branch again. Thank you. I'm going to ask for a motion to adjurnn. Please move. >> Second. >> Second. >> Uh all in favor? >> I opposed. >> Thank you. Good night everyone.