New York must heed the warning signs before we ask, 'How did this happen?'

Every generation grapples with the same unsettling question: how were warning signs missed before disaster struck? This query echoes from the aftermath of Pearl Harbor and September 11 to the recent October 7 attacks, prompting Israelis to again wonder how accumulated warnings failed to spur action. The author posits that democracies rarely collapse due to an absence of warning signs; instead, failure stems from a collective conviction that someone else will intervene.

“

History teaches that democracies rarely fail because warning signs are absent. They fail because too many people convince themselves that someone else will act.

Writing from Jerusalem, the author shares a personal reflection, expressing gratitude that his parents, who deeply cherished the New York he grew up in, are no longer alive to witness its present condition. As a fourth-generation New Yorker on his father's side, he, like many American Jews, once viewed the city as a unique symbol of freedom, pluralism, and the rule of law that safeguarded everyone. This belief profoundly shaped his life.

“

In many ways, I am grateful they are no longer here to witness what has become of the New York they loved.

He recalls his time as a research assistant to Dr. Hillel Seidman, a Holocaust survivor, scholar, and journalist, while studying at Brooklyn College in 1980. Dr. Seidman, a prominent Orthodox journalist and activist, taught him that the United Nations was more than a diplomatic forum; it was often a stage where future political realities first emerged. Dr. Seidman's experiences, particularly his scrutiny of UN Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim's wartime record alongside Prime Minister Menachem Begin, instilled a lasting lesson: no public official should be above scrutiny or the law.

“

He taught me that the UN was never merely a diplomatic institution. It was often the stage upon which tomorrow’s political realities first appeared.

This conviction, solidified by the investigation into Waldheim's past, an effort the author assisted with before it was expanded by others, continues to resonate. The author sees history repeating itself as the 81st United Nations General Assembly approaches, once again placing New York at the center of global attention. He implies that the lessons learned from past failures to heed warnings are as relevant today as ever, particularly concerning the scrutiny of powerful public figures.

“

No public official is above the law. No public official is above scrutiny.