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Estee Lauder Heir Trying to Evict NY Socialite from $7M Bel Air Mansion

By
Sholom Schreirber
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William Lauder, 60, was featured in an article by the NY Post for a legal battle with his former mistress. Lauder is reportedly trying to kick out New York socialite Taylor Stein, 54, from the $7 million Bel Air mansion he gave her. Photo Credit: Wikipedia.org

By: Ellen Cans

Billionaire businessman, and executive chairman of The Estée Lauder Companies, has found himself in the news for more than the makeup and skincare that his company sells.

William Lauder, 60, was featured in an article by the NY Post for a legal battle with his former mistress. Lauder is reportedly trying to kick out New York socialite Taylor Stein, 54, from the $7 million Bel Air mansion he gave her. The legal battle is being played out in Los Angeles Superior Court. In it, he demands that she leave the 6,000 square foot home which boasts six-bedrooms, five-bathrooms and a pool.

In May 2007, Lauder and Stein had a daughter together, who is now 13-years old and whose name is being withheld. As per the Post, the secretive Lauder did not wish his personal life to end up in “the gossip press,” so he sent the mother and baby to Aspen to stay under the radar. Under a 2007 agreement, Lauder agreed to pay Stein $1 million each year, provided that she kept it a secret that he was the father of her child, and if she agreed not to wittingly come within 100 yards of any member of the Lauder family in New York, Palm Beach, or Aspen.

As reported by the DailyMail, their child apparently wrote a post on social media, in which she described her parents as “divorced”. Lauder holds that this public post violated his demands for strict secrecy and cancels their agreement. The incident has resulted in dozens of intensely redacted court filings and multiple attempts to seal the current case. The suit was originally opened by Lauder in 2018, and they seemed to have reached a truce in 2020, until the feud was reignited a month later in December 2020 by the daughter’s posting.

Now, in turn, Stein is accusing the billionaire of backing out of a court-brokered arrangement to support them, and also alleges that he is harassing her by hiring a high-profile private detective to spy on her. Stein is the daughter of the late legendary NYC nightclub entrepreneur Howard Stein. Her grandfather, Ruby Stein, was a loan shark who was murdered by the Westies gang, and had his decapitated body found floating in Jamaica Bay in 1977.

Neither Lauder nor Stein responded to requests for comment from the Post.

Wealthy Hamptons Homeowners Including Celebs Face Setback in Wind Farm Cables Battle

By
Sholom Schreirber
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The project has a good deal of well-heeled critics–including actress Edie Falco (pictured above) from the HBO series The Sopranos and billionaire Ronald Lauder. Photo Credit: AP

By Hadassa Kalatizadeh

A state commission has unanimously approved a wind-farm developer’s plan to bury a 138,000-volt electric cable beneath the sandy beach at Wainscott, in the East Hamptons. The project has a good deal of well-heeled critics–including actress Edie Falco from the HBO series The Sopranos and billionaire Ronald Lauder. As reported by the NY Post, the $2 billion South Fork Wind Farm project is slated to provide power to 70,000 Long Island homes. The 15 wind turbines themselves will be located 35 miles away from Montauk, only the underground power line will run 30 feet under Wainscott’s beach, spanning 4 miles north towards Cove Hollow.

The wealthy neighbors say they have no opposition for the wind-power project itself, rather only for the disruption, noise and potential environmental hazards of burying the transmission line under their beach. The group, which calls itself the Citizens for the Preservation of Wainscott, wants the cable rerouted farther east, in Amagansett. The group, which also includes banker Daniel Neidich and actress Barbara Kavovit from the “Real Housewives of New York”, signed a petition in 2018 against the cable and are still contesting the easement granted to the developer.

The construction of the wind turbines themselves is still under review with the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy. Thursday’s four-member vote by the Public Service Commission in the town of Orstead has cleared the way for the line burial, with construction slated to begin in the spring of 2022, and completion of the project is estimated for late 2023, as reported by 27East. The PSC completed a two-year review process for the project. “This order marks a milestone in New York’s bold initiative to decarbonize it’s electric grid, through the development of offshore wind resources,” PSC member John Howard said. “While we have years of work ahead of us, today’s approval … moves New York closer to its goal”. He noted that addition bigger wind-farm projects are coming up for approvals as well.

Representatives for Falco couldn’t immediately be reached by the Post for comment. The Citizens for the Preservation of Wainscott said in a statement: “Unlike any other wind farm proposed in America today, or any project the developer has done in its own country, this project lands a high-voltage cable in a residential area.” The group criticized the board for rushing the project, and said it is considering “seeking redress by the courts.”

425 Park Ave Office Tower Gets First New Lease in Over Two Years

By
Sholom Schreirber
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Developer David W. Levinson’s commercial tower has just signed its first new lease in more than two years—adding on a new tenant for two full floors. Photo Credit: AP

By Hadassa Kalatizadeh

Here’s some good news for the 47-story office tower at 425 Park Ave in Midtown Manhattan.

Developer David W. Levinson’s commercial tower has just signed its first new lease in more than two years—adding on a new tenant for two full floors. As reported by the NY Post, global private-equity firm, Hellman & Friedman, inked a deal for a 15-year, 27,800 square-foot lease. Though the lease size is modest, this marks a breakthrough for the closely watched tower at 425 Park Ave, at which construction will soon be complete. Hellman & Friedman will move from Lever House across the avenue to the Foster + Partners-designed building later on this year.

The developer, L&L Holding Company, founded in 2000 by Levinson and Robert Lapidus, had big dreams for 425 Park Ave- which would be the first new block front office building on Park Avenue in 50 years. The $1 billion tower, which offers 690,000 square feet of office space, broke ground five years ago. The project hit a bump though, losing some major commercial tenants such as Wells Fargo Bank. There were also no new leases signed since January 2019, when Ken Griffin’s Citadel added 124,000 square feet to an earlier lease agreement. The hedge fund has leased a total of 331,800 square feet at the tower, become the anchor tenant, and is set to begin moving in as soon as it completes its high-tech build-out. Citadel signed most of the lease back in 2016, in a very competitive market, agreeing to pay $300-plus per square foot for the two top floors, which is among the highest office rents in history. For its space on 14 other floors, Citadel’s lease agreement is estimated at plus-or-minus $200 per square foot.

Rising to 897 feet, the striking building boasts a 45-foot-high lobby; two “diagrid” floors with ceilings up to 38 feet; super speed elevators which run at 1,200 feet per minute; and a double-height club floor for tenants only. It will be the city’s first WELL-certified building, lauded for several health, wellness and environment-friendly features. The building’s future is being carefully eyed as a bellwether for Park Avenue commercial activity.

“This is clearly not a good market. We had to adjust pricing because the market tells us to… the smartest people can take advantage of it,” Levinson had said in January. He had noted then that prices will go up again and that they were in “very serious negotiations” for new leases at the tower.

Stewart Rahr’s East Hamptons Estate Finally Finds Buyer, in One of Year’s Priciest Deals

By
Sholom Schreirber
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An oversized waterfront East Hamptons estate, owned by Stewart Rahr, the billionaire entrepreneur, investor and philanthropist, is in contract to sell for roughly $50 million. Photo Credit: Pinterest

By Serach Nissim

An oversized waterfront East Hamptons estate, owned by Stewart Rahr, the billionaire entrepreneur, investor and philanthropist, is in contract to sell for roughly $50 million. As reported by the Wall Street Journal, it is among the year’s most expensive deals signed. The mansion, which first went up for sale back in 2015, with an asking price of $95 million, has endured several extensive price cuts and was last listed for $56 million

Rahr owned and founded pharmaceutical and generics wholesaler Kinray, which was the largest privately owned pharmaceutical distributor on the globe, till he sold it to Cardinal Health in 2010 for $1.3 billion. Less formally, Rahr, a Jewish Queens native, is the self-proclaimed “Stewie Rah Rah, the No. 1 King of All Fun”. Rahr, who has an estimated net worth of over $2 billion, had purchased the Wainscott property, known as Burnt Point, for $45 million in 2004. The eight bedroom, 25,000 square feet home was designed by the architect Francis Fleetwood and completed in around 2000. It features a private dock, tennis court, four-car garage, gym, screening room, billiards room, pool and spa. The home is nestled on a sprawling 25-acre peninsula.

Rahr, a longtime friend of former President Donald Trump, had previously told the Post, “the property gave him an ‘overwhelmingly peaceful’ and ‘a ‘Golden Pond’ type of feeling’.” Some of his neighbors, however, had referred to it as “Dracula’s Castle.” Perhaps they said that because the home also boasts 200-year-old antique oak flooring, distinctive millwork, open arched doorways, and stone fireplaces. Or maybe it was because of the half-mile long driveway.

Joseph De Sane, the managing director of Bespoke Real Estate, handled the listing, but declined to comment on the exact sale price or on who the buyer is. De Sane did comment to say that he was “grateful for the opportunity to have facilitated this transaction.” Mr. Rahr did not comment.

This was not the only large Hamptons estate which sold in March. The longtime East Hamptons home of June Noble Smith Larkin Gibson, whose father Edward J. Noble was a founder of the Life Savers candy company, also went in contract, as per the WSJ. The five acre, five bedroom, five bathroom home was first put up for sale last August, with an asking price of $72 million, after the heiress had passed away at the age of 98.

NYC High Schools Open; Opt-in Period For In-Person Learning Extended

By
Sholom Schreirber
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Students are returning to the classroom at 488 New York City high schools as Mayor Bill de Blasio announced a new opt-in window for families to sign up their kids for in-person learning. Photo Credit: AP

By Andre Malo

Students are returning to the classroom at 488 New York City high schools as Mayor Bill de Blasio announced a new opt-in window for families to sign up their kids for in-person learning. About 55,000 high schoolers have opted into some in-classroom learning compared to a pre-pandemic high school population of about 326,000.

NY Post reported: Hizzoner elbowed bumped students at the Bronx School for Law, Government and Justice in the borough’s Concourse Village neighborhood as they headed in.

“Really inspiring. Kids are ready to learn again,” de Blasio told reporters.

When asked whether he’s confident that the school buildings will stay open this time, de Blasio replied, “Yes, indeed.”

Families will have another chance to opt into in-person instruction starting this Wednesday through April 7 since the city can increase school capacity given the CDC’s new guidelines that allows desks to stand three feet apart, increased from six feet of separation, CBS 880 reported.

“We’re going to do an opt-in for all grades even though only some of them will be ready to open in the near term,” de Blasio said. “We want to ask parents and kids across all grade levels if they want to come back when the opportunity arises.”

We still have more work to do for middle and high school, we’re still not sure about those timelines, but as I said the opt in will include middle and high school students so we know what their intentions are and then we’ll be able to provide more information as we get more guidance and as we see the overall situation evolve,” de Blasio said.

“We need to open the opt-in window now so that schools can start planning for the opportunity to welcome more students in,” Schools Chancellor Meisha Porter said. “We want every single child who wants to attend school in person to have the opportunity to do so.”

“We are ready to go. We have all the pieces we need to bring high school back and bring it back strong and, of course, to bring it back safely,” de Blasio said in a video message. “Why do we know this? Because we set the gold standard for the nation and our rules became the blueprint.”

There will be social distancing, disinfecting and random testing as students return to school buildings. About half of the city’s public high schools will offer five-day in-person learning.

Proposed NY Tax Hikes Send Chill to Businesses who Ponder Leaving State

By
Sholom Schreirber
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Kathyrn Wylde, CEO of the business-backed Partnership for New York City. Photo Credit: SUNY.edu

By: Jared Evan

The Covid pandemic taught companies that remote working can become a standard way of operating a business, and now the businesses that hung in NYC during the pandemic are considering relocating completely out of NYC and the state itself, after the announcement of a proposed $7 billion tax hike.

Fox News pointed out: At least 20 finance and tech companies are already poised to leave for sunny, low-tax Florida, said Kathyrn Wylde, CEO of the business-backed Partnership for New York City. “The Legislature’s proposals will move us in the opposite direction by driving away the businesses and tax base required to do that,” said powerful Real Estate Board of New York President James Whelan.

Last week The NY Post reported:

Both houses of the state legislature have proposed budgets that include nearly $7 billion in new and increased taxes on businesses and the rich.

The tax increases come despite a $100 billion avalanche of fresh federal aid to New York, including $12.6 billion directly to state government coffers.

Assembly leaders crowed in a press release Sunday that state lawmakers are proposing a $208.3 billion budget for the next fiscal year.

Their plan includes a 22.6 percent increase in spending — or $16.9 billion — over last year. That’s more than 10.5 percent higher than what Gov. Andrew Cuomo is proposing.

The soak-the-rich rhetoric always plays popular to Americans of all political persuasions, however the repercussions of these kind of policies are usually not considered by the general public.

Big names on Wall Street have already threatened to pack their bags if Albany enacts a stock-transfer tax, which is proposed in an active bill. The state would claim a percentage of the proceeds from every purchase or sale of stock, or other security, under the measure, Fox News reported

“While New York has remained a center of gravity for the financial industry, many employees of ‘Wall Street’ firms are migrating to Florida, Texas, and other states with hospitable tax policies,” Stacey Cunningham, the president of the New York Stock Exchange, wrote last month in a Wall Street Journal op-ed.

“The New York Stock Exchange belongs in New York. If Albany lawmakers get their way, however, the center of the global financial industry may need to find a new home,” she warned. A Nasdaq spokesman did not return a message on its plans.

NY could become a drastically different state if these intense tax hikes are passed. With an embattled governor and NYC going to the polls to elect a new mayor in November, all eyes will be on the big apple, and voters choosing “wokeness” and socialism over sane leadership could quickly take NY back to the 1970’s where, poverty and crime were king.

Why is the Real Estate Market Booming in Israel During a Pandemic?

By
Sholom Schreirber
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7 Hess Street

By: TJVNews.com

While in the states and Europe the operations against COVID-19 are in their basic to medium stages–in Israel, where over 70% of the potential population were vaccinated–social life and businesses are gradually returning to prosper.

Oren Cohen, CEO and founder of Oren Cohen prime real estate, located in Rechavia, with over 25 years of experience in Jerusalem’s high-end market, explains the effects felt in Israel in this period.

The Courtyard on Iben Shafrut, Rehavia

“The story starts half a year back,” says Oren, “the re-ignition of the property market (with over 62,000 properties sold in Israel over the second half of 2020, the highest in the past 20 years)–was a direct effect of the declaration of the treasury office in July 2020 to reduce the real-estate purchasing tax, which mainly attracted business opportunities. The current new wave is majorly affected by the general population that clearly understood the new needs of a pandemic crisis–properties with a garden or a balcony is now a ‘must’”.

“A similar change in the mindset is currently undergoing in the States” adds Oren, “while US Jews were majorly involved with property investments in Israel for business purposes, or holidays vacation apartments–we now find more and more interest amongst the greater crowd to purchase houses that could fit their own needs, to allow them to potentially move in for a few months during a potential world crisis.

This change directly affects the location demand of the property–if in the past the main criteria were the profit regardless of personal location preferences–the interest now is more focused on location and community, mainly in Jerusalem’s classic Anglo-Saxon locations. They too are well aware that a balcony or a penthouse is very much a need.”

Oren shares with us that the purchasing habits have changed too: zoom meetings and virtual tours of the property have become more and more popular. In other words–the local Israeli’s advantage of being geographically located within driving distance to the property–is much less felt, customers from the states and Europe have an equal chance to the Israelis in observing the property.

“What we see from the above is a major increase in demand, but unfortunately the supply is not increasing in accordance. Besides the fact that Israel’s most valuable natural resource is its limited landscapes (therefore the ground sold to citizens is in a very slow paste)–a new report presented last week to the government by the ‘Association of Contractors Builders of the Land’ reveals that by 2048 (100 years to the declaration of the state of Israel) there will be a need to provide a living to over 18 million Israelis and Olim Hadashim, practically that means that there is an immediate need to plan the future of housing in Israel with over 3 million new properties to be built within the next 27 years.”

The President’s Gardens

With the above facts said–it is clear how the latest research of Australia’s ‘Compare the Market’ stated that a square meter in Israel costs over a quarter of the average monthly income in Israel – rating the Jewish state second most expensive place to live in the world for the locals.

The government is well aware of that and is ongoing a major program of subsidizing the cost of the first property of young Israeli families, mainly in the suburbs. Unfortunately, it is now well known that the plan isn’t effective in moving these families away from the strong central locations of Jerusalem, it rather makes it easier for them to carry on paying their rent while having an extra income from their subsidized apartment they are letting elsewhere.

What this means is that finding a property in the highly wanted areas become even more difficult to find–hence due to the local Israelis looking to find properties with balconies and gardens, with local markets and shops nearby, and hence due to Jews from all over the world looking into creating for themselves a potential place to live in case of world crisis.

Oren shares with us a few examples of recent deals during Covid time.

“In the Courtyard on Iben Shafrut, Rehavia- a landmark building from the 1930’s which was recently restored 3 units have been sold through zoom to clients from the states.

On Hess street in Talbia, between the Waldorf Astoria and the King David hotel, 2 units was sold, so too the “President’s Graden” in Rehavia- a boutique building of 11 tenants with preserved facades on the corner of Abarbanel street, 4 units were sold during Covid time”.

“These buyers were wise and reserved themselves high-end units knowing that the supply is limited, and prices will soon rise”, says Oren.

“In these days we are launching new projects in some of the most prime locations in Jerusalem and Tel-Aviv, that were mainly planned and design for foreign client’s needs and demands, and we are looking forward to meet them all face to face in the post COVID time in the very near future” finalizes Oren.

For further information please contact Oren Cohen at +972523353569 or by e-mail at: [email protected]

Could an Arab Party Play Kingmaker in Israel’s Election?

By
Sholom Schreirber
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0

According to the survey, the most qualified candidate for prime minister in the Arab sector is Benjamin Netanyahu, with 24.9 percent support, followed by Ahmad Tibi of the Joint Arab List with 14.3 percent.

By: Ariel Ben Solomon

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s effort to gain Israeli Arab votes by emphasizing his practical policy towards them by aiding with issues that concern them appears to be gaining traction. He has been seen in the media sitting with Bedouin sipping tea, visiting the Bedouin city of Rahat in the Negev and playing soccer on the beach with Arab children all to court a new swath of voters.

Mansour Abbas, the head of the United Arab List Party (UAL, also known by its Hebrew acronym, Ra’am)—the political branch of the southern branch of the Islamic Movement—broke off from the Arab Joint List of parties after angering them for seeking to improve ties with Netanyahu and the government.

Arik Rudnitzky of the Israel Democracy Institute and Tel Aviv University’s Moshe Dayan Center told JNS that “it appears that many in the Arab public do not believe that the Knesset can further their interests.”

“But they do believe that the government is the real power-broker,” he said.

Against the backdrop of the social and economic crisis following the coronavirus pandemic in the past year and increasing bloodshed due to rising criminal incidents in the Arab sector, “quite a significant portion of the Arab voters will support Netanyahu, hoping that he will take care of their burning needs.”

An in-depth analysis of a survey carried out by the Konrad Adenauer Program for Jewish-Arab Cooperation at the Moshe Dayan Center reveals that those who intend to vote for Likud pay less attention to the party’s ideology and political platform than those who intend to vote for the Joint List.

“In other words, the ‘Likud Arab voter’ is not necessarily identified with Zionist ideology, but rather, is interested in getting results here and now,” explained Rudnitzky.

Surprisingly, according to the survey, the most qualified candidate for prime minister in the Arab sector is Netanyahu (24.9 percent), followed by Ahmad Tibi (Ta’al) of the Joint List (14.3 percent), and then Joint List and Hadash head Ayman Odeh. It also found that half of the Arab voters (46 percent) support an Arab party’s participation in any government after the elections.

And it discovered that the Joint List—made up of the Communist Hadash, nationalist Balad and Tibi’s Ta’al Party—would receive around eight Knesset seats while Abbas’ UAL would barely squeak into the Knesset with the minimum four seats.

(www.JNS.org)

Arab Terrorist Ordered to Compensate Yeshiva Student He Attacked in Jerusalem’s Old City

By
Sholom Schreirber
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An Arab who attacked a 19-year-old yeshiva student with his friends near the Old City of Jerusalem about two years ago will compensate the victim with NIS 40,000, Jerusalem District Court Judge Avraham Rubin ruled Monday. Photo by Esty Dziubov/TPS on 13 January, 2020

By: TPS

An Arab who attacked a 19-year-old yeshiva student with his friends near the Old City of Jerusalem about two years ago will compensate the victim with NIS 40,000, Jerusalem District Court Judge Avraham Rubin ruled Monday.

The compensation is in addition to a conviction in criminal proceedings during which the assailant was sentenced to 11 months in prison.

The ruling follows an attack that occurred about two years ago when the Jewish victim was walking to pray at the Western Wall. When he arrived in the Sha’ar Zion area, three young Arabs approached him and began beating him on all parts of his body, after they ensured that he was Jewish.

Shortly after the attack, the assailants were arrested and indicted. The court convicted one of the attackers, an adult, and sentenced him to 11 months in prison.

Throughout the criminal proceedings, Adv. Haim Bleicher of the Honenu rights organization accompanied the victim and his family and filed a civil lawsuit against the adult assailant.

Bleicher also filed another lawsuit against the recently convicted minor assailants.

In the indictment, Bleicher described the sequence of events and the nature of the assault, as evidenced by the indictment against the defendant. He noted the severe injuries the victim incurred, and the long process he is going through to recover from the assault.

Following the lawsuit, compensation was awarded to the young Jew in the amount of NIS 40,000.

The other two assailants, who were minors at the time of the attack, were also convicted and civil proceedings are now underway against them.

Bleicher stated that “such a ruling of charging the attacker to pay compensation to the victim is part of our effort to combat the anti-Semitic terrorist blight, and we are confident that this will help deter potential attackers.”

“We in the Honenu organization will continue to work tirelessly to prosecute those who dare to attack Jews. Every terrorist and perpetrator should know that he will be subjected to lengthy legal proceedings, at the end of which he will pay with his own money to the victim in addition to prison sentences. We are confident that this will contribute to deterrence and reduce terrorism,” he added.

(TPS)

3 Innovative Israeli-Developed Nanosatellites Launched into Space

By
Sholom Schreirber
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0
Three nanosatellites developed by Israeli scientists at the Technion in Haifa that will perform autonomous formation flights were launched into orbit on Monday on the Soyuz 2 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

By: TPS

Three nanosatellites developed by Israeli scientists at the Technion in Haifa that will perform autonomous formation flights were launched into orbit on Monday on the Soyuz 2 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

The Adelis-SAMSON (Space Autonomous Mission for Swarming and Geolocation with Nanosatellites) project was launched into space after years of planning, development, construction, and improvements.

SAMSON is an experimental mission that consists of three nanosatellites with a two-pronged mission: to demonstrate long-term autonomous cluster flight of multiple satellites without human intervention, and to receive signals from Earth and detect their precise location for search and rescue, remote sensing, and environmental monitoring missions.

The project was carried out by a team at the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, led by Professor Pini Gurfil of the Asher Space Research Institute

Satellite tracking and data collection is take place at the Technion’s mission control center, which was inaugurated in 2018. Built with the support of the Adelis Foundation, the center contains an array of Israeli-made antennae manufactured by “Orbit,” which will maintain continuous communication with the satellites.

Being the first project of its kind, the Adelis-SAMSON is considered a “technological leap” that is underway after years of interdisciplinary research and collaboration, including new and original developments.

For the three satellites to travel in formation and fulfill their missions, each was installed with sensors, antennae, computer systems, control systems, navigation devices, a unique and innovative propulsion system, and a mission receiver developed by Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI).

The three satellites were launched along with dozens of satellites from 18 countries, including Japan, Saudi Arabia, and Tunisia.

About a month ago, TPS reported that the miniature TAU-SAT1 satellite, the first to be designed, assembled, and tested by an Israeli university, was launched into space aboard a NASA launcher.

The satellite, Tel Aviv University’s first nanosatellite, will orbit the earth at a speed of 27,600 km per hour, or 7.6 km per second, completing 1 orbit every 90 minutes and will measure cosmic radiation around the earth. The satellite’s dimensions are 10 by 10 by 30 cm, and it weighs less than 2.5 kg.

The scientific information collected in space by detectors developed at the Soreq Nuclear Research Center (SNRC) will help design better protective gear for astronauts and space systems.

The probe was developed at the Center for Nanosatellites, an interdisciplinary endeavor between the Iby and Aladar Fleischman Faculty of Engineering and the Porter School of the Environment and Earth Sciences at the Raymond and Beverly Sackler Faculty of Exact Sciences, and the Soreq Nuclear Research Center.

The Adelis-SAMSON satellites entered orbit four hours and 20 minutes after the launch. They were activated 30 minutes later, and their systems started operating.

The first communication with the control center at the Technion is expected on Saturday afternoon.

(TPS)

High Profile Case Alleging Bribery, Illicit Relations at Top of Justice System Closed

By
Sholom Schreirber
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A high-profile case alleging the payment of bribes for the sake of promotion in Israel’s judicial system and illicit relations between senior officials which rocked the country a year ago was closed with no indictments. Photo by Hillel Maeir/TPS on 22 February, 2018

By: Aryeh Savir

A high-profile case alleging the payment of bribes for the sake of promotion in Israel’s judicial system and illicit relations between senior officials which rocked the country a year ago was closed with no indictments.

The police launched an investigation in January 2019 during which it arrested the head of Israel’s Bar Association Effi Naveh on suspicion that he exploited his power to influence the process of appointing judges.

According to the allegations, Naveh had used his power to promote the appointment of a judge while he was subject to a conflict of interests and while committing an offense, and also attempted to influence the promotion of a judge to the District Court while committing an offense, but the promotion failed. A senior female lawyer was involved in this failed attempt.

The magistrate under suspicion, Etti Kreif, was also questioned on suspicion that before her appointment she was involved in an attempt to illegally encourage her promotion as a magistrate to the District Court.

However, Deputy State Attorney Shlomo Lemberger decided Sunday to close the investigation file against Naveh and Kreif.

After hearing all the arguments raised during the several hearings, Lemberger decided that “there is no reasonable chance of conviction in this case” and that “despite problematic factual findings that emerged from the investigation – findings that allegedly amount to criminal acts – the case must be shelved.”

Kreif committed to not seeking a judgeship again.

Member of Knesset Betzalel Smotrich, who has been campaigning for reforms in the judicial system, said that “we are all now witnessing in real-time how the most powerful body in the country operates when there is no supervision, no criticism, and no one can restrict it: just open a case, move a person aside and close the case.”

H called to “return the judiciary to its natural size, and to restore the separation of state powers as it should be.”

In an unrelated development, TPS reported that the leadership that led the weekly protests against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Sunday evening they were collapsing the tent they erected in front of the Prime Minister’s residents on Balfour Street in Jerusalem, ending nine months of a campaign that was meant to oust Netanyahu from there.

Various anti-Netanyahu organizations banded together and led weekly protests calling for Netanyahu’s resignation, primarily on Balfour Street in Jerusalem, at times in Tel Aviv and other locations, and at times violent.

The demonstrators had a mixture of messages, including charges that Netanyahu was harming Israel’s democracy, that he was on trial for criminal charges and therefore should step down, that he had failed in his leadership during the Coronavirus crisis, that he should cease with his plan to declare sovereignty over Judea and Samaria and an assortment of various other demands and messages.

      (TPS)

Israel Revokes PA Foreign Minister’s VIP Card

By
Sholom Schreirber
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0
Israel has revoked the VIP card from Palestinian Authority (PA) Foreign Minister Riyad Malki after he returned to Ramallah from a meeting with Fatuous Bensouda, the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) at The Hague. Photo by Yehonatan Valtser/TPS on 2 December, 2019

By: Aryeh Savir

Israel has revoked the VIP card from Palestinian Authority (PA) Foreign Minister Riyad Malki after he returned to Ramallah from a meeting with Fatuous Bensouda, the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) at The Hague.

The VIP card enables its holder to move freely between the PA and Israel and abroad.

Israeli authorities also reportedly canceled the VIP cards for two other PA foreign ministry officials who were traveling with Malki.

Malki was in The Hague to promote the ICC’s war crimes probe against Israel.

“The occupation authorities canceled the minister’s border pass coordination and withdrew his VIP card after he went to the ICC,” head of the foreign minister’s office, Ahmad al-Deek, told the PA’s official WAFA news agency on Sunday.

He said the PA “will initiate contacts with the international community” about the Israeli measures against Malki.

Other senior PA officials may face similar penalties.

In related news, Israel’s KAN broadcaster reported Monday that following the PA’s cooperation with the investigation against Israel in The Hague, Israel has made it clear that it will reject any economic projects between Israel and the PA.

A number of countries have reportedly approached Israel in recent weeks with the objective of initiating economic cooperation or projects between Israel and the Palestinians, and Israel has said that until the PA declares that it will not cooperate with the tribunal, no such cooperation will occur.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi told the TASS news agency while in Moscow last week that “I do not know how familiar you are with Israeli society. Almost every family in the country has a relative who served in the army. And if anyone thinks we will agree with the decision to arrest our soldiers, it is a misconception.”

Israel has not joined the ICC and maintains that the ICC lacks any jurisdiction on the matter of war crimes allegedly committed by Israel since no sovereign Palestinian state exists nor does any territory belonging to such an entity.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that the decision is “absurd” and is “undiluted anti-Semitism and the height of hypocrisy.”

“Without any jurisdiction, it decided that our brave soldiers, who take every precaution to avoid civilian casualties against the worst terrorists in the world who deliberately target civilians, it’s our soldiers who are war criminals,” he stated.

 (TPS)

Israel & UAE Rugby Teams Face Off in 1st Match After New Ties

By
Sholom Schreirber
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0
Israel’s Amir Fawarsa, left, is tackled by a UAE rugby player. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili)

A video of Israeli President Reuven Rivlin was beamed onto the field with a dramatic speech about friendship.

By: AP

In the Middle East, where sport and diplomacy are closely intertwined, political passions can spill over onto the playing field.

On Friday, politics played a vastly different role. Months after the United Arab Emirates normalized ties with Israel, an Israeli national rugby squad touched down in Dubai to meet the Emirati team on the field for the first time. The more experienced Israeli team swiftly beat the UAE 33-0 in the first 7-a-side friendly match, held without crowds because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The rugby players and few spectators rose as “Hatikvah,” the Israeli national anthem, blared over the grassy field and through rows of skyscrapers. The players shook hands, slapped backs and bumped fists over a thumping electronic beat.

Israeli President Reuven Rivlin beamed onto the field with a dramatic speech about friendship.

“This is insane, insane,” said Israeli player Ori Abutbul, shaking his head in disbelief. “I have no words when people ask me how I feel.”

Already, sport has become key to new Israeli-Emirati ties. Hamad bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, a member of the Abu Dhabi ruling family, purchased a 50% stake in Beitar Jerusalem, a professional soccer team in Israel. Reports questioning the sheikh’s finances have since put the deal on hold.

On the field Friday, Emirati team captain Younes al-Blooshi said he didn’t want to talk about the region’s political intrigues and rivalries. He expressed relief, however, that certain old rifts were beginning to heal.

Earlier this year, the UAE, Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries announced the end to a yearslong boycott of Qatar.

Throughout the bitter dispute, the UAE rugby team played in Qatar, but “it was pretty difficult,” al-Blooshi acknowledged, declining to elaborate.

“Thankfully, things are all clear now,” he said, noting the team would be flying direct to Doha in May, a first since 2017 when the boycott closed borders.

Israel, meanwhile, will return to competing against European countries, with the 2021 European Rugby Championship Cup beginning next month.

(AP)

Former US Mideast Envoy Greenblatt: Saudi Arabia on ‘Path to Peace’ With Israel

By
Sholom Schreirber
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0
President Donald Trump’s envoy to the Middle East Jason Greenblatt. (Flash90)

“These deals are complex and take a great deal of time, but any one thing could spark the right opportunity for a deal to actually be announced and quickly consummated, as we have seen,” Greenblatt told JNS.

By: Ariel Ben Solomon

Saudi Arabia is on a path to peace with Israel, but it needs to be given space to move at its own pace, former White House Middle East envoy Jason Greenblatt told JNS in an exclusive interview.

“These deals are complex and take a great deal of time, but any one thing could spark the right opportunity for a deal to actually be announced and quickly consummated, as we have seen,” said Greenblatt.

The New York-born son of Hungarian Jewish refugees, Greenblatt is a father of six who lives in Teaneck, N.J. He worked as a top lawyer for the Trump organization before becoming former President Donald Trump’s special envoy for international negotiations in January 2017, one of the few Trump officials charged with the Middle East file.

Greenblatt weighed in on his experiences negotiating on behalf of the Trump administration’s efforts towards Israeli-Palestinian peace and the Abraham Accords, as well as his thoughts on the Biden administration reviving the 2015 Iran nuclear deal (the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA ) and its critical approach vis-à-vis the Saudis.

He noted that in its first months, the Biden administration seems to be giving too much credence to the European position, even though the European Union was a main force behind what he called the “disastrous” Iran nuclear deal.

Below is the full text of questions and answers with Greenblatt:

Q: In your recent article in Newsweek, you seem to rebuke the Biden administration’s foreign policy that seeks a rapprochement with Iran at the expense of the moderate Gulf and Arab states, as well as Israel. How will this affect the peace deals between Israel and the Arab world that you helped orchestrate? Will it make their alliance stronger?

A: My position on whose voices truly matter on the Iranian threat has been clear. The Biden administration has put a great deal of emphasis on the Europeans being the relevant parties at the Iranian table.

While some of these European countries are relevant in the sense that they were involved in the disastrous JCPOA, and indeed they have a relationship with the Iranian regime which is helpful, the European outlook often is not aligned with ours or our important allies in the Middle East- Israel, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain and Jordan.

It is our allies in the Middle East who are in the most danger from the Iranian threats, including nuclear, missiles, drones, proxies, terrorism and other malign activity. These countries should have a seat at the front of the table at all these meetings to ensure their voices are heard loud and clear.

Q: From Israel’s perspective, how should it pursue a peace deal with Saudi Arabia and some of the other Arab countries that have not done so yet? Will the current administration’s policies push Saudi Arabia and Israel closer?

A: These deals are complex and take a great deal of time, but any one thing could spark the right opportunity for a deal to actually be announced and quickly consummated, as we have seen.

Israel should continue to do what it is doing by being a force for good in the world and security in the region and elsewhere. Israel should walk tall and proud, and over time, more and more countries will realize that being Israel’s ally is a big benefit for so many reasons.

I think Saudi Arabia will get there, but we have to be patient and give Saudi Arabia the space it needs. Pressure from any party, including the U.S., will not yield a peace deal that is worth much or long-lasting. Peace will come when everyone is ready for it, for the right reasons. Encouragement is important, but pressure is not worthwhile.

Q: What do you make of the latest spat between Israel and Jordan, and the report that Jordan blocked its airspace to Netanyahu?

A: I don’t have the inside scoop on what actually happened, and I am not sure which news reports are accurate. But I think Jordan is not only an important ally of the U.S., it is an important neighbor to Israel.

I hope that Israel and Jordan work in good faith to repair that very important relationship. Rhetoric from some sectors turning this into a religious dispute is very harmful, and I doubt there is any truth to those stories. Frankly, if it were up to me, I would invite Crown Prince [Mohammed bin Salman] to visit Jerusalem and pray at the Al-Aqsa Mosque, and ensure that he has the security he is comfortable with.

Israel tries hard to do as good a job as possible to allow Muslims to worship at Al-Aqsa; in fact, it is Jewish worship that is forbidden. The more people understand that the better.

Q: What is the biggest misconception you observed in Washington circles and the foreign-policy establishment regarding the overall situation in the Middle East?

A: I will actually list several misconceptions because they are so important to understanding the conflict and its potential resolution.

First, that the Arab-Israeli conflict can only be solved when solving the Israel-Palestinian conflict. Perhaps that was true years ago. Clearly, it is no longer true for some countries, and hopefully, for many others. The conflicts are tied together, but can be broken apart and solved separately.

Another is the total acceptance of many of the Palestinians’ talking points as if they were valid, legally binding rights, such as their demand for all of East Jerusalem (including Judaism’s holiest sites) and that a peace deal must be largely based on the so-called 1967 borders, as if Israel is illegally occupying land that actually once belonged to Palestinians, as opposed to the land being disputed and claimed by Palestinians.

Or that other countries or groups of countries, such as the United Nations or the European Union, can demand a solution to the conflict out of Israel, as opposed to a solution to the conflict, if any, coming from direct, good faith negotiations between the parties.

(www.JNS.org)

Will Biden Serve Out His Term?

By
Sholom Schreirber
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0
The chief White House physician to former President Barack Obama is worried about the mental health and stamina of Joe Biden, suggesting that “something is not right” with Joe Biden. Photo Credit: WABC News

There is not one of us who cannot recall slipping, tripping or falling at times. It happens to everyone. But when a sitting United States President does it while caught on camera, it’s a big deal to the media. Especially and only if, the person in question is a Conservative. Presidents Trump and Ford elicited a flurry of debasing comments regarding their ability to walk and chew gum at the same time because of their stumbles. And who knows how many such incidents occurred before every move of our leaders was captured on camera by an official White House photographer to be seen by millions? But the latest in a series of incidents involving President Biden, his tripping three times while clambering up the steps of Air Force One, on his departure from Georgia, should disturb and raise more eyebrows from the media and the entire nation because it was not a singular issue regarding Biden’s increasingly problematical evidences of failing physical and mental capabilities. He’s exhibited many disturbing signs of control problems in both areas over the past year.

The Associated Press’ Jonathan Lemire hit the nail on the head writing: “The matter of a President’s health is of great importance to the American public…It is absolutely harder to make the case when we see videos like this where he’s having momentarily stumbles, momentary lapses, straining for a word.” In his 2020 campaign stops he got into a couple of verbal disputes with members of the audience. In Iowa he lashed out at an attendee with, “You’re a damned liar!” In a Detroit auto plant, he yelled out to a hard-hatted worker, “You’re full of sh-t!” The chief White House physician to former President Barack Obama is worried about the mental health and stamina of Joe Biden, suggesting that “something is not right” with Joe Biden. “The best way I can describe him every time I see him is that he’s just lost,” said former Navy Rear Admiral, Dr. Ronny Jackson. “I won’t make any particular diagnosis about dementia..But what I will say is that something is not right.”

If you watch only CNN, MSNBC or PBS, you will not know of President Biden’s struggles to read and pronounce words from his always present teleprompter. Or his confusing his wife with his sister during a campaign stop. And in Philadelphia, he introduced his granddaughter as his deceased son to a bewildered group of supporters. The media, at this time is protecting the President until the signal is given that it’s time for VP Kamala Harris to take over the reins. Biden has already referred to her, more than once, as “President Harris.” In a recent speech to the nation he proudly announced twice at different intervals, that he that “300 Americans” will soon be inoculated against the Chinese virus. Once is a mistake. Twice, the alarm bell rings.

It troubles us that the powers that oversee our President are covering up for him. He has yet, at this writing, to have an open, unrehearsed press conference. His staff is scrambling, holding off the inevitable announcement that, “President Biden has received problematical medical reports that appear to be serious and at the urging of his family and medical team, has reluctantly decided to step down from his office for treatment of such and to be with his beloved family at home. Vice- President Kamala Harris will be sworn in shortly as President of the United States and will take over such responsibilities that she has been thoroughly prepared for.”

We all knew it was coming. End of story and perhaps much more.

Cuomo’s Resign Clock is Ticking Away

By
Sholom Schreirber
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0
AP

If you thought the Chinese Virus was tough to get rid of, it can’t come even close to the survival techniques of NY Governor Andrew Cuomo. He could give that deadly disease some lessons in endurance and resurgence. At that, he’s a master, learning how to scratch and scrape and keep breathing under stress, from his Dad, former Governor, Mario Cuomo. Political Royalty does not bend to pressure. Their crowns are handed down from heaven above. “But,” you say, “Andy Boy is responsible for the deaths of what we think is 15,000 elderly during this crisis and has been accused of sexual misconduct by, at last count, 8 women who served under him. And their charges appear to be authentic, backed up by photos and witnesses. He’s got to go!” And you’d be right. All bets were that he would be gone by this date. No way. He’s still strutting around like a king. n arrogant one, at that.

Just last week he appeared at a mass vaccination site at Mount Neboh Baptist Church in Harlem getting his virus shot with former Rep. Charlie Rangel and the NAACP Prez. Hazel Duke, standing guard, praising him to the black community. “Thank you governor for all you have done, we stand with you.” She also referred to him as her son. Grass roots support he has. He was on TV daily, blustering, brandishing his self serving accounts, now seen as lies, of how he was battling and beating the virus. He’s a good actor. He actually received an Emmy award for his performances. But he was only acting, not serving the public who was owed more than mere words.

So who’s going after him? Strange as is seems, not the Right but the Left. Not the old, but the young Progressives who no longer need Andy to attack the Devil Trump. His usefulness as a sword is gone. He must now go. He’s in their way to a more liberal Albany. The Progressive Left wants higher taxes on income, capital gains and estates. All against the wisdom of Cuomo, who sees the flight of the wealthy out of his state to others, taking their assets, businesses, families and stability with them. He knows their loss leaves a huge vacuum to fill. We agree with him. But he has no one else to blame for his problems.

This nation is now obsessed with punishing white guys in power no matter their political views. The rights of women are in the ascent, their charges against men abusing their bodies must now go unchallenged. And Andy is one of the convenient political victims. But he’s a street fighter not a wimp. He will be the last to apologize in order to win favor with anyone. But we see no chance for him to escape these charges. In a sense, he’s fighting against time. Actually, in our eyes, he’s dead meat.

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