Former President Bill Clinton is one of several confirmed speakers honoring former New York City mayor Ed Koch at his funeral. Koch passed away Friday morning at the age of 88.
George Arzt, serving as spokesman for Koch, announced that Clinton would be present at the service scheduled for Monday morning.
According to Arzt, Bill Clinton will be speaking on behalf of President Barack Obama. The former president’s trip to New York was also helped along by the administration. Arzt expressed his gratitude for the funeral attendance:
“It is a great honor and we are grateful to the White House for helping make this happen.”
The Associated Press writes that Bill and Hillary Clinton were also longtime friends of the three-term mayor. Koch supported and advised Hillary Clinton during her campaign for Senate in 2000 and later during her run for presidency.
The funeral service will be held at Manhattan’s Temple Emanu-El, a Reform Jewish congregation on Fifth Avenue. Among its members are New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who will reportedly be conducting Koch’s eulogy.
The New York Daily News reports that a private Shiva will be held for Koch on Tuesday at Gracie Mansion. However, Monday’s funeral service will be carried live on the nyc.gov website and broadcast on several local television stations.
In addition to Bill Clinton, speakers confirmed to appear are John LoCicero, one of the former mayor’s top political advisers, and Diane Coffey, Koch’s longtime chief of staff. Also attending the Koch funeral as a speaker will be Ido Aharoni, the Israeli consul general in New York.