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US Offers Help Investigating Disappearance of Saudi Journalist in Turkey

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The US offered to help Wednesday in the investigation of the mysterious disappearance of a Saudi journalist last seen entering Riyadh’s consulate in Istanbul, Turkey, a week ago.

Turkey has launched an intensive probe into the disappearance of the journalist, Jamal Khashoggi, a critic of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Vice President Mike Pence did not indicate whether Turkey or Saudi Arabia has sought U.S. assistance, but when asked if Washington might dispatch FBI technicians if Saudi Arabia requested it, he said, “I think the United States of America stands ready to assist in any way.”

Turkish authorities say they believe Khashoggi was murdered inside the consulate, an allegation Saudi Arabia says is “baseless.”

A key lawmaker, Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia, said that the unfolding drama could significantly affect U.S. relations with Saudi Arabia, long an American ally in the Middle East.

“If it turns out that suspicions of Saudi involvement in the murder of this journalist are true,” Kaine said, “it could be a real sea-change in the relationship between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia that could affect many things, including U.S. support for what Saudi Arabia is doing in Yemen. So I think we have to get to the bottom of it.”

Saudi Arabia has not produced any video footage showing that Khashoggi ever left the consulate alive October 2 after arriving to pick up documents related to his upcoming marriage to a Turkish national, Hatice Cengiz. Nor has Turkey disclosed any information supporting its claim that 15 Saudi operatives who arrived in Istanbul on two flights the same day killed him or possibly spirited him out of the country to Riyadh.

Pence told conservative talk show host Hugh Hewitt that Khashoggi’s disappearance is “a great concern for the United States of America. The suggestion that this journalist, Mr. Khashoggi, was you know, was murdered should be deeply troubling to everyone that cares as a free and open press around the world. … The free world deserves answers. Violence against journalists should be condemned, but at this point, we don’t know what happened.”

Khashoggi, who had written articles in The Washington Post that were critical of the Saudi regime and its intervention in the war in Yemen, has been living for a year in the U.S. in self-imposed exile. Cengiz, his fiancee, wrote in the newspaper Tuesday that Khashoggi had been “somewhat concerned that he could be in danger” when he first visited the consulate September 28, but after that visit was uneventful, seemed unconcerned when he returned last week to pick up the documents they needed to get married.

She called on President Trump to “help shed light” on the journalist’s disappearance. She also urged Saudi Arabia’s leaders to release security camera video from the consulate area.

Turkish media Wednesday showed what it said was a team of 15 Saudis arriving at the Istanbul airport on the same day Khashoggi went missing. The Sabah newspaper, which is close to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, published names and pictures of the Saudi nationals, apparently taken at a passport control station.

Later, eight of the men checked into the Movenpick hotel near the consulate, with seven others checking into a nearby hotel, the Wyndham. Nearly two hours after Khashoggi entered the consulate, video shows two vehicles with diplomatic plates leaving the consulate through police barricades and headed to the Saudi consul general’s residence. The 15 Saudis left Turkey at four different times, the Sabah report said.

Washington Post publisher Fred Ryan issued the newspaper’s latest plea for information Tuesday, saying neither Saudi Arabia nor Turkey has provided satisfactory answers.

“Silence, denials and delays are not acceptable. We demand to know the truth,” Ryan said in a statement.

Turkey’s Foreign Ministry said Tuesday authorities would search the Saudi consulate, but there have been no details about when such a search would take place.

Trump told reporters at the White House he plans to talk to the Saudis about the case, but had no information about Khashoggi’s fate.

Erdogan said Saudi officials need to prove that Khashoggi left the building.

“We have to get an outcome from this investigation as soon as possible. The consulate officials cannot save themselves by simply saying, ‘He has left,'” Erdogan said earlier in the week.

Crown Prince Salman said last week that Riyadh was “ready to welcome the Turkish government to go and search our premises,” because it had “nothing to hide” about the missing journalist.

 

 

Yankee Season Ends to Rival Red Sox

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The New York Yankees’ season ended last night as the American East champion Boston Red Sox eliminated New York in game 4 in a best of five series. The final score was 4-3 with the Yankees, down 4-1, falling short with a ninth inning bid to win the game.
The Yankees had split the first two games in Boston and looked to take advantage of two consecutive home games in the Bronx.
But Boston was up to the task as they showed New York that there was more to the game than hitting home runs.
After losing to the Red Sox in a 16-1 blowout, the Yankees turned to veteran lefty  C.C. Sabathia in hopes of keeping Boston’s offense at bay
The Red Sox are one of the few teams that can keep pace with Yankees ability to score runs. In addition to having immense power with the like of Designated Hitter J.D. Martinez who crushed 43 round tripper, the also have Mookie Betts who hit more than 30 home runs and more than 30 stolen bases.
Despite the fact that the Yankees set a new season record for home runs in a season with 267 round trippers, the Yankees couldn’t get the pitching they needed from their starters to match Boston’s rotation.
Still, the Yankees had their chances and the bullpen kept the game close.
The first two innings were a scoreless affair unlike the previous game where Boston took an early lead and then throttled the Yankees with seven runs in the fourth. But the Red Sox were able to muster 3 runs the first run scoring when Martinez hit a sacrifice fly driving in Andrew Benintendi from third for the game’s first run. With first baseman Steve Pearce on second, Ian Kinsler, Boston’s second baseman doubled to left fielder Brett Gardner making it a 2-0 score. The third run when Eduardo Nunez drove in Kinsler from second making it a 3-0 lead.
The following inning, things only worsened for the Yankees when right handed hitter Christian Vasquez crushed a home run to right field making it 4-0.
Despite the aura of negativity, the Yankees scratched a run in the fifth inning when Brett Gardner hit a sacrifice fly driving in Gary Sanchez from third finally giving Yankee fans some hope in an otherwise disappointing performance. Despite this, Boston’s pitching continued to shut down the Yankees hitters until the ninth.
 Boston’s highly reliable ninth inning closer suddenly couldn’t find the strike zone. First he walked Aaron Judge then shortstop Didi Gregorius singled. Two Yankees were on base. Then slugger Giancarlo Stanton came up and put the fear of the almighty in the hearts of Red Sox nation. But Stanton struck out disappointing Yankee fans everywhere. Then first baseman Luke Voit walked to load the bases. Suddenly the Yankees were an extra base hit from tying the game. Neil Walker came up and he took one pitch and it hit him and suddenly the score was 4-2 with only one out. The next hitter was catcher Gary Sanchez. Sanchez had hit two home runs in game two in Boston. Could he do the same and give a crucial game four victory? Sanchez swung the bat and hit it far but not far enough. His sacrifice fly made the score 4-3 but now there were two outs. Next up was the highly touted rookie second baseman Gleyber Torres. Could he make like Derek Jeter and lead the Yankees to a come-from-behind win. Alas, he took two pitches and swung at the third grounding out and ending the Yankees exciting season in disappointing fashion. The Yankees have a lot to look forward to as they look to rebound in 2019. Perhaps adding some speed and improving their starting pitching are places they could focus on if they want to go deeper and make it back to the fall classic again like the days of yore.

Nikki Haley Resigns as UN Amb; Israel Loses Staunch Advocate for Truth

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In a shocking revelation on Tuesday, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley announced her resignation from her post at the world agency, and thusly, has fueled speculation concerning her future career endeavors.

“It has been an honor of a lifetime,” Haley said, addressing both the President and journalists in the Oval Office. “I am such a lucky girl to have been able to lead the state that raised me, and to serve a country I love so very much. It has really been a blessing, and I want to thank you for that.”

U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley addressed the Christians United for Israel (CUFI) annual summit in Washington, DC which coincided with the 70th anniversary of Israel’s independence. Ambassador Haley. was introduced and presented with an award by Pastor John Hagee, CUFI founder and national chair. Photo: (C-SPAN)

Haley formally submitted her letter of resignation on Wednesday, Oct. 3. Haley is not leaving her position at the UN until the end of the year.

“As a strong supporter of term limits, I have long believed that rotation in office benefits the public,” Haley’s resignation letter reads. “Between the UN Ambassadorship and serving in the South Carolina Governorship and General Assembly, I have been in public office for fourteen straight years.”

She also stated in her letter to President Trump: “We achieved great successes at the UN. We passed the toughest sanctions against any country in a generation, pressuring North Korea toward denuclearization. We passed an arms embargo on South Sudan that will help reduce violence and hopefully bring peace to that troubled country. We stood up for our ally Israel and began to roll back the UN’s relentless bias against her. We reformed UN operations and saved over $1.3 billion. We spoke out resolutely against dictatorships in Iran, Syria, Venezuela, Cuba, and yes, Russia. Through it all, we stood strong for American values and interests, always placing America first. I am proud of our record.”

Trump said during Tuesday’s press conference that Haley’s decision was not unexpected. She had shared with him six months earlier that she had plans to step down.

“Nikki Haley has been very special to me. She’s done an incredible job. She’s a fantastic person,” Trump said. “She’s done a fantastic job, and we’ve done a fantastic job together. We’ve solved a lot of problems, and we’re in the process of solving a lot of problems.”

Trump credited Haley with bolstering the United States’ standing among the world’s most influential countries through her United Nations work, and advancing U.S. foreign policy, specifically pointing to what he feels are improved situations with North Korea and Iran.

US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley is pictured with Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon. The two have discussed strategies to combat the world body’s bias toward Israel as well as the Iranian threat.

“We are respected again, that I can tell you. Very much respected again, and people want to be on our side,” Trump said. “If you look at the votes in the United Nations. I mean, votes that we would normally get ‘No’ votes, we’re getting very strong votes now. So, I just want to thank Nikki.”

“We will miss you,” Trump said to Haley. “You have done a fantastic job.”

“Hopefully you’ll be coming back at some point,” added the president, saying “you can have your pick” of other jobs in his administration.

“I don’t have anything set on where I’m going to go,” said Haley.

The former governor of the state of South Carolina has been a relatively moderate voice in Trump’s cabinet.

Her appointment as ambassador to the U.N. was seen as something as a surprise as she had been viewed as a critic of Trump’s confrontational style during the 2016 presidential campaign, as well as a proponent of free markets and global trade, in contrast to the president’s “America First” policies.

“Countries may not like what we do but they respect what we do,” Haley said on Tuesday, summarizing her tenure as Trump’s envoy to the world body.

Asked who he has in mind as Haley’s successor, Trump responded: “We have a number of people that would very much would like to do it,” adding that Haley had “made it a very glamorous position.”

The president added that “within the next two or three weeks, maybe sooner” he is likely to announce who he intends to nominate for the post.

Jewish Voice publisher David Ben Hooren and US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley

Haley responded recently to an anonymous opinion article in the New York Times by an unnamed senior official who claimed to be part of a “resistance” inside the Trump administration to thwart parts of the president’s agenda “and his “worst inclinations.”

Haley, writing in The Washington Post, said that she proudly served in Trump’s administration and “I enthusiastically support most of its decisions and the direction it is taking the country.”

As ambassador to the world body, Haley had clashed with her first immediate boss in the Trump administration, Rex Tillerson, who was fired by the president in March and replaced as secretary of state this year to make way for the director of the Central Intelligence Agency, Mike Pompeo.

“Nikki Haley has been a clear, consistent, and powerful voice for America’s interests and democratic principles on the world stage,” said Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, quickly reacting to news of the ambassador’s impending departure. “She challenged friend and foe to be better. I am saddened that she is leaving the administration, but so grateful for her service.”

As governor of South Carolina, Haley came to national prominence for taking down the flag of the Confederacy, a symbol of the losing Southern side during America’s mid-19th century civil war, which had flown at the Statehouse.

Haley, whose parents emigrated from India, is one of six women in Trump’s cabinet and is regarded as a potential future Republican Party presidential contender.

The reasoning behind her resignation is not yet known. Haley enjoys strong support among Republicans and has long been rumored to harbor future presidential ambitions.

“No, I’m not running for 2020,” Haley told reporters, adding she would be campaigning for Trump’s re-election in the next presidential election.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other Israeli leaders from across the political spectrum, thanked outgoing US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley for her support following her surprise resignation Tuesday, according to a report on the Israel National News website.

“I thank Ambassador Nikki Haley, who led an uncompromising struggle against the hypocrisy of the United Nations and the truth and justice of our country. Best of luck!” Netanyahu said.

President Reuven Rivlin said: “I would like to thank Nikki Haley, a true ambassador, from the bottom of our hearts and on behalf of all the citizens of Israel. Haley presented an uncompromising stance on US positions on the Middle East and Israel, and defended our clear right to protect the security of our citizens. Haley, in her direct statements, often led to the removal of the cynical mask from processes led by the United Nations and international organizations.”

“I thank Mrs. Haley for her courage and for her tenure as a turning point in the US attitude toward the international organizations and for the discriminatory treatment that these organizations often take against the State of Israel,” the president added.

“We will continue to see Nikki as a true friend and we will be happy to receive her at the President’s Residence on her next visit to Israel,” Rivlin concluded.

Education Minister Naftali Bennett wrote on Twitter: “Dear Amb@NikkiHaley, on behalf of the Israeli people. Thank you for what you’ve done for Israel. We will not forget.”

Former Israeli Ambassador to the US Michael Oren wrote: “It is with great regret that I heard about the resignation of Ambassador Nikki Haley, who worked for the United States, Israel and the enlightened world against the dark forces of the United Nations. The people of Israel will always appreciate her and wish her success in the future.”

Yesh Atid faction leader Yair Lapid, who serves in the Knesset opposition, wrote: “Nikki Haley is a great friend of Israel and an important voice at the United Nations. She took on the hypocrisy and bias at the UN with conviction and clarity. Thank you.”

By: Fern Sidman

Kavanaugh Hears First Arguments as New US Supreme Court Justice

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The newest member of the U.S. Supreme Court, Brett Kavanaugh, took his seat Tuesday and heard his first arguments, just days after he narrowly won Senate confirmation to fill a vacancy on the country’s highest court.

A handful of protesters opposed to President Donald Trump’s nomination of Kavanaugh to a lifetime appointment to the court gathered outside, chanting, “This isn’t over, we’re still here.”

Trump, in a Twitter comment, claimed without evidence that demonstrators against Kavanaugh were hired to protest. But he said that “the paid D.C. protesters are now ready to REALLY protest because they haven’t gotten their checks–in other words, they weren’t paid! Screamers in Congress, and outside, were far too obvious–less professional than anticipated by those paying (or not paying) the bills!”

Kavanaugh’s first Supreme Court case involved arguments over the federal criminal sentencing law and came hours after Trump staged a ceremonial swearing-in for Kavanaugh at the White House. The jurist had already been officially sworn in Saturday soon after the Senate voted 50-48 to confirm his appointment.

Kavanaugh’s appointment roiled Washington for weeks, after university professor Christine Blasey Ford accused him of sexually assaulting him more than three decades ago when both were teenagers growing up in suburban Washington. Ford told lawmakers she was “100 percent” certain Kavanaugh attacked her, but Kavanaugh forcefully denied he had assaulted her or any other woman.

At Monday night’s ceremony, Trump declared, “On behalf of our nation, I want to apologize to Brett and the entire Kavanaugh family for the terrible pain and suffering you have been forced to endure. You, sir, under historic scrutiny, were proven innocent.”

Kavanaugh said, “Every American can be assured that I will be an independent and impartial justice.”

As Trump, the other eight court justices and a number of Republican senators crucial to the confirmation process watched, retired Justice Anthony Kennedy administered the judicial oath to Kavanaugh.

“The Senate confirmation process was contentious and emotional. That is now over,” Kavanaugh said. He added that the Supreme Court “is not a partisan or political institution,” promising to “always be a team player on a team of nine.”

Hours before the White House ceremony, Trump accused opposition Democrats of plotting to remove Kavanaugh from the bench.

Kavanaugh was “caught up in a hoax set up by the Democrats,” Trump told reporters, without elaborating. “And now they want to impeach him.”

Speaking before boarding the Marine One helicopter on the White House south lawn, Trump predicted the attack on Kavanaugh would cost the opposition party in next month’s nationwide congressional elections.

The president and his fellow Republicans are hoping the confirmation of the 53-year-old conservative jurist will energize their supporters in the midterm voting when political control of Congress is at stake.

“The American public has seen this charade, and it was a disgrace. And I think it’s really going to show you something come November 6,” Trump said.

Kavanaugh replaces Kennedy, a conservative jurist who often cast the deciding swing vote on ideologically divisive issues, upholding abortion and gay rights and the use of affirmative action aiding racial minorities in college admissions.

Independent court analysts, however, predict Kavanaugh is likely to concur with more conservative interpretations of the law, giving a solid 5-4 ideological edge on the court to those who lean to the right.

By: Steve Herman

Israeli UN Amb. Danny Danon Slams Jeremy Corbyn in UK Parliament Speech

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Britain’s Parliament hosted Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon Tuesday.

In his address, the ambassador referred to statements made by opposition leader and Labour Party chairman Jeremy Corbyn, calling him “an anti-Semite who wants to return Britain to darker periods in its history.”

In his address to the British Parliament, Israeli UN Ambassador Danny Danon referred to statements made by opposition leader and Labour Party chairman Jeremy Corbyn, calling him “an anti-Semite who wants to return Britain to darker periods in its history.”

The ambassador added that “in his actions and statements, Corbyn gives oxygen to incidents of racism by embracing his terrorist friends and encouraging the activities of BDS. Israel stands by the Jewish community in England.”

Corbyn and the Labour Party have faced a string of scandals involving anti-Semitism and accusations of bigotry in recent months.

The Daily Mail has published photos of the Labour leader at a cemetery in Tunisia holding a wreath near the graves of some of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) terrorists who were responsible for the massacre of the 11 Israeli athletes at the 1972 Munich Olympics.

Days later, a picture emerged of Corbyn apparently making a salute linked to the Muslim Brotherhood organization.

That week, the Times of London published a picture of Corbyn meeting with the leader-in-exile of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) terrorist organization, only weeks before its members carried out an attack on a Jerusalem synagogue in which six people were murdered.

Corbyn insists he is not an anti-Semite. In a recent interview with the BBC he described anti-Semitism “as a scourge in any society, I have opposed it all my life…I have spent my whole life opposing racism in any form and I will die fighting racism.”

Later, it was revealed that Corbyn attended a conference with a convicted Hamas leader who was jailed in Israel for his role in orchestrating a string of terrorist attacks that killed more than 100 people between 2001 and 2002.

The Daily Mail later exposed remarks made by Corbyn in 2010 in which he hinted that Israeli officials were controlling the speeches made by British MPs.

Moreover, dozens of Labour members have been suspended over their anti-Semitic statements in recent years, and the party has been criticized for its failure to deal with the anti-Semitism within it.

By: Gary Willig
(INN)

Jewish Democratic Group Sues Sheldon Adelson for ‘Legal Sadism’

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Democratic group claims lawsuits ruined them, aims to take revenge on Sheldon Adelson–despite the fact that he paid their legal costs

A group that once was the umbrella for Jewish Democrats claims it was brought down by a libel lawsuit filed against it by Sheldon Adelson and is countersuing now that Adelson has lost.

The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in a federal court in New York by the National Jewish Democratic Council and its former chairman, Marc Stanley, charges the casino magnate with “legal sadism” for pursuing his lawsuit first launched in 2012, despite multiple losses in lower courts, until a federal appeals court threw it out last November.

“It is now beyond civil that Sheldon Adelson deliberately abused the courts to try — in his words — to bankrupt the National Jewish Democratic Council for having the temerity to criticize him,” the lawsuit claimed.

Adelson has already paid legal costs to the defendants after losing his lawsuit.

However, the group seeks damages under a statute in Nevada — where Adelson originally filed his lawsuit — that penalizes frivolous lawsuits. The filing does not name an amount but seeks damages to be determined at trial and punitive damages.

The lawsuit claims Adelson essentially ruined NJDC, driving away donors who were wary about being named in a lawsuit. Its then-director, David Harris, left the organization and politics because of the action. “Today, the NJDC exists only to recover its debt from litigation and pay its bills,” it says.

A new group, the Jewish Democratic Council of America, was established last year in its stead.

Adelson had sued the National Jewish Democratic Council in 2012 over an online petition alleging the major Republican donor allowed prostitution at his casino in Macau. The petition included a hyperlink to an Associated Press article carrying allegations against Adelson. Much of the legal argument was over whether attaching a hyperlink is a clear enough signal that the defendants were citing available information.

The hyperlink was embedded in an online petition urging Republicans not to take money from Adelson, who in addition to being a major giver to the Republican Party also funds Jewish, pro-Israel and medical philanthropies.

He also finances Israel’s most popular newspaper, Israel Hayom.

A spokesman for Adelson did not respond to a JTA request for comment.

Adelson is a major supporter.

By: A7 Staff
(INN)

State Department: No ‘Jerusalem, Israel’ on US Passports

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The Trump administration may be withholding recognition of Israel’s capital on passports for the time being because of its much-anticipated Mideast peace plan.

Despite the United States recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital in December and relocating its embassy from Tel Aviv in May, Americans born in Jerusalem are still unable to list “Jerusalem, Israel” on US. passports.

“The president has made clear that the specific boundaries of Israeli sovereignty in Jerusalem remain subject to final-status negotiations between the [Israelis and the Palestinians],” a State Department spokesperson told JNS. “We have not changed our practice regarding place of birth on passports or Consular Reports of Birth Abroad at this time.”

A group of 55 House Republicans sent a letter to President Donald Trump several weeks ago, urging him to instruct the State Department to permit American citizens born in Jerusalem to list Israel as their birth country on their passport.

“Despite the progress in moving the embassy, the State Department has not yet fully implemented the administration’s policy of recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital for purposes of registration of birth, certification of nationality, or issuance of a passport of a United States citizen born in the city of Jerusalem,” the letter stated.

 

Pro-Israel Groups Weigh In

Jewish and pro-Israel groups expressed concern to JNS over this development.

“We strongly supported legislation that would enable US citizens to declare Israel to be their place of birth should they so desire,” said AIPAC spokesperson Marshall Wittmann. “We encourage the administration to adopt this approach.”

“It is deeply frustrating that the State Department ignores the fact that Jerusalem is never mentioned in the Koran; Arabs face Mecca when they pray, Jews face Jerusalem,” said Zionist Organization of America President Mort Klein. “It has never been the capital of any country except Israel. Jerusalem became a slum when under Arab control from 1948 to 1967, and no Arab leader except King Hussein visited Jerusalem during that time.”

“It has been Jerusalem, Israel, for thousands of years according to God, US law and history, but not according to the State Department,” he continued. “Where is Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on this? Shameful appeasement.”

Sarah Stern, founder and president of the Endowment for Middle East Truth, said “this is inconsistent with his previous message, declaring that ‘Israel, like any other sovereign nation, should have their right to determine its own capital.’ Why should Jewish babies born in Jerusalem continue to remain stateless?”

Daniel Mariaschin, CEO and executive vice president of B’nai B’rith International, remarked that the State Department needs to change its policy in accordance with Trump’s. “The president has made clear that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel,” he said. “So any US citizen born in Jerusalem is therefore, de facto, born in Israel, and their US passport should reflect that reality.”

Executive vice chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations Malcolm Hoenlein stated that hopefully, this is just bureaucratic resistance that can be pushed aside to right any wrong. “It is disappointing that apparent bureaucratic, or worse, biased judgements are impeding the correction of this historic wrong,” he said. “It does prejudge anything regarding borders or boundaries to acknowledge the place of birth correctly. I hope higher authorities will intervene.”

Apparently, it is advertent bureaucratic resistance inside the State Department, according to Daniel Pipes, president of the Middle East Forum.

“Even before President Trump made his announcement recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, in a White House backgrounder for analysts, a ranking State Department official made clear that the recognition had no geographic definition, that the complex US position on the city going back to the Corpus Separatum concept in the 1947 United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine, remains entirely in place,” explained Pipes. “Thus did the bureaucracy manage to salvage something from what it considers the wreckage of Trump’s recognition.”

 

On Hold Due to Mideast Peace Plan

Although Trump recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, he has the authority to not have “Jerusalem, Israel” listed on US passports in accordance with Zivotofsky v. Kerry, where the Supreme Court ruled it is solely the president who has the power to recognize foreign entities in accordance with the US Constitution’s Reception Clause.

“Zivotofsky ruled in favor of the executive; he was not required to comply with the federal law,” said constitutional scholar Ilya Shapiro. “Trump, like Obama, can decline to stamp ‘Israel’ on the passport of a citizen born in Jerusalem.”

Washington-based geopolitical strategist and diplomacy consultant John Sitilides told JNS that the administration may be withholding putting “Jerusalem, Israel” on passports due to its much-anticipated Mideast peace plan.

“President Trump has recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel but is now emphasizing his support for a two-state solution and is withholding on the passport issue to maximize US leverage as his diplomatic negotiating team finalizes its proposals,” said Sitilides. “He has publicly stated that Israel must be more flexible now that Jerusalem has been recognized, even as he declares that the Palestinian team has nowhere else to go to secure an enduring solution to its perennial issues.”

“Both sides, and all interested parties,” he said, “are holding their breath as the Trump administration prepares to unveil its long-awaited proposals.”

By: Jackson Richman
(UWI)

Russian Chief Rabbi Criticizes Missile Transfer to Syria

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In a rare display of rebuke, the Chief Rabbi of Russia, Rabbi Berel Lazar of Chabad spoke out against his country’s defense policy to transfer missiles to Syria

In a rare display of rebuke, the Chief Rabbi of Russia, spoke out against his country’s defense policy to transfer missiles to Syria. As reported by Haaretz, Rabbi Berel Lazar, from the Chabad Movement, made a public statement last Thursday, at a conference attended by several hundred people, which was organized by the Limmud FSU cultural group, in Sighet, Romania. “I think it’s a mistake that will only augment the region’s problems,” he said to Israeli journalist Eli Mandelbaum, regarding the transfer of advanced anti-aircraft missiles to Syria.

Russia announced two weeks ago that it will be supplying Syria with an entire shipment of the S-300 missile systems. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu says that the delivery has now been completed. The decision follows the downing of a Russian intelligence gathering aircraft, which killed 15 Russian servicemen. The plane was shot down by Syrian forces responding to an Israeli strike over Syrian airspace, but Russia says Israel was the indirect cause of the incident.

For years, Israel and its allies have lobbied Russia not to give the S-300 system to Syria and others in the region. They have explained that it would be a game changer, weaken Israel’s ability to stop terrorist threats, including those made by the Lebanon-based group Hezbollah.

Lazar, who is one of two Chief Rabbis in Russia, usually opposes excessive involvement by Jewish religious leaders into Russian politics, and generally steers clear of criticizing the government in his region. Still, Lazar, an Italian native who reportedly meets regularly with Russian President Vladimir Putin, spoke out saying he would like to “speak about [the S-300 issue] with the president.” He said, “We explain, I’d say, the sensitivity of this issue to our brethren in Israel, in Zion, and we hope Israel and Russia can continue to cooperate in stopping terrorism, stopping Iran, and that Israel will continue to guard its borders and neutralize any threat before it reaches its doorstep.”

On Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, announced at a cabinet meeting that he will soon be meeting with President Putin, to try to improve relations and calm tensions following the downed Russian aircraft. The date and venue for this meeting have not been unveiled.

By: Ilana Siyance

Billionaire Roman Abramovich Offloads Nearly $100M in Manhattan Property to Ex-Wife

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Russian-Jewish billionaire Roman Abramovich is handing over quite the property to his wife. She now owns six properties on the Upper East Side, and one group of buildings in particular will soon make way for a mega-mansion project, The New York Times reports.

Roman Abramovich’s Manhattan property.
Photo Credit: Jewish Voice Photography

Abramovich gave the property up to Darya Zhukova after the divorced a year ago. She was his third wife, and these group of properties add up to $92.3 million. Not surprisingly, there were only very few closings in the same month that topped that skyhigh number.

Back down on 57th Street, a double-wide thoroughfare that even runs past Trump Tower, a $42 million penthouse sold, making it last month’s highest sale. The owners of this penthouse live a life that’s unimaginable to the vast majority of people. The property uses the whole 77th floor of One57, giving the occupants ample room to move around and quite the bird’s eye view of Billionaires’ Row. The person who sold the property actually lost a few million dollars on it.

Brooklyn also saw a noticeable sale last month when a historic brownstone in the middle of Brooklyn sold for about $6.3 million. The seller got a great deal on what was the most expensive sale in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood.

A Mezuzah can be seen on the doorpost of the home of charitable businessman and philanthropist Roman Abramovich in Manhattan. Photo Credit: Jewish Voice Photography

The Jewish Voice has previously reported on Abramovich, who has been busy with these properties and other business ventures of his. Earlier in the year, he went to Israel where he immediately received Israeli citizenship. He is now eligible to receive and Israeli passport.

Some have speculated that Abramovich wants Israeli citizenship so that he can enter Britain without a visa. He recently was denied a new visa for the country.

Abramovich’s British visa expired last month, according to the Israel Hayom daily. His previous visa was granted before more rigorous regulations were instituted in April 2015.

Abramovich will have to explain the source of his wealth to receive the new visa, according to reports. There is no evidence that Abramovich has done anything wrong, but the United Kingdom has scrutinized Russian businesspeople and diplomats more carefully since the poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in Salisbury, England, in March. Several Russian diplomats were expelled following the incident.

The front door of Roman Abramovich’s elegant digs on the Upper East Side. Photo Credit: Jewish Voice Photography

Abramovich even missed Chelsea’s Football Association Cup final victory over Manchester United at Wembley Stadium in London. He has owned the team since 2003 and has been present at nearly every game, until his visa problems began.

He also received recognition earlier in the year for his charitable givings for Jewish causes. He contributed over 500 million dollars over the past 20 years to Jewish causes in Israel, Russia and elsewhere.

The award is signed by Rabbi Alexander Boroda, President of the FJCR and the Chief Rabbi of Russia, Berel Lazar.

Rabbi Boroda: “With the upcoming 20-year anniversary, we wanted to specially recognize those who have been vital to our work and to the Jewish community. Much of the work we do has been made possible thanks to Mr. Abramovich, and we are deeply thankful for his continued support.”

By: Bill Wallace

Weiner Might Get Early Prison Release; Serving Time for Sexting Underage Girl

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Perverted former Congressman Anthony Weiner, 54, is reportedly set to be released early for good conduct roughly a year after he began his 21-month prison sentence for sexting with an underage girl.

Weiner, the New York Post remarks, “who has failed at being a husband, at sex rehab and at politics because of his uncontrollable urges — has managed to be a model inmate at the Federal Medical Center in Devens, Mass., according to the federal Bureau of Prisons.”

Prison records show he is scheduled to be released in May 2019, three months ahead of his scheduled release date in August 2019.

“If the Queens Democrat ends up getting sprung early, it will be his first success in close to a decade,” the Post continues. “Weiner’s dramatic and seemingly never-ending fall from grace kicked off in 2011, when he resigned from Congress after it emerged he had been sending photos of his privates to women online.”

Weiner, of course, has been involved in multiple sex scandals related to sexting. The first scandal began when Weiner was a Democratic U.S. Congressman. He used the social media website Twitter to send a link that contained a sexually suggestive picture of himself to a 21-year-old woman. After initially denying reports that he had posted the image, he admitted that he sent a link to the photo. He also sent additional sexually explicit photos and messages to women before and during his marriage. He denied ever having met or having had a physical relationship with any of the women. On June 16, 2011, Weiner announced his intention to resign from Congress effective June 23.

Weiner returned to politics in April 2013 when he entered the New York City mayoral race. After additional pictures of Weiner were released, Weiner admitted sexting at least three women since his resignation from Congress. He remained in the race until the end, placing fifth in the Democratic primary.

Following a report from the Daily Mail in September 2016, the FBI investigated Weiner for sexting with a 15-year-old girl. His laptop was seized and emails related to the Hillary Clinton email controversy were found on it, causing a controversy late in the presidential election. On May 19, 2017, Weiner pled guilty to one count of transferring obscene material to a minor. His wife, Huma Abedin, filed for divorce prior to Weiner’s guilty plea. In September, he was sentenced to 21 months in federal prison. On November 6, 2017, Weiner began his sentence at Federal Medical Center, Devens, in Ayer, Massachusetts.

Weiner has proven to be a favorite target of now-President Donald Trump going all the way back to 2012. Among Trump’s tweets:

  • I knew disgusting and unwanted porn star @REPWEINER was a sleazebag the first time I met him. Thank goodness he was revealed (so to speak).
  • Degenerate former Congressman Anthony Weiner is trying to make a comeback. He is a sick & perverted man that New York does not want or need.
  • Keep an eye on Anthony Weiner. Weasels are hard to get rid of.
  • Pervert alert. @RepWeiner is back on twitter. All girls under the age of 18, block him immediately.
  • Scary thought—what is the pervert Anthony Weiner doing with all the free time he has. Does he collect unemployment?
  • Weiner says many more pictures may be out there—this is just what NYC needs, a pervert Mayor.

By Howard M. Riell

Wife of NY Art Mogul David Mugrabi Claims He “Tussled” With Her Over Sculpture

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Trouble in paradise, as a billionaire art bigshot vies with his estranged wife over an alleged “tussle.”

Libbie Mugrabi — the estranged wife of David Mugrabi — presented a Keith Haring sculpture as evidence in a Manhattan courtroom last Friday as what she hoped would be proof of her husband’s rough treatment of her over the half-million-dollar art object.

“A friend of the divorcing couple testified in court on Friday that Libbie feared for her life after a tug of war over the prized Haring sculpture,” the New York Post reported. “Libbie said, ‘Don’t go! He’s going to kill me!’ ” the pal, Lauren Amar, said. Then David “charged at Libbie and to that sculpture,” Amar added, referring to the 20-inch-high Haring piece.

“They were both wrestling with it, tussling with it,” Amar testified. “He said, ‘You’re taking my things!’ ”Then, “Libbie ended up on the floor and yelled for her sister to call 911,” Amar recalled about the July 10 incident in the dressing room of the couple’s East 85th Street apartment,” according to the Post. “Amar said David then shoved her out of the apartment and repeatedly pushed the door into his 102-pound wife.”

According to ArtNet News, the Mugrabi collection was started in the 1980s by David’s father, Jose Mugrabi. David’s brother, Alberto “Tico” Mugrabi, who married fashion blogger Colby Jordan two years ago, is also a prominent art dealer. “Their holdings are known to feature the likes of Pablo Picasso, Auguste Rodin, Damien Hirst, George Condo, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and Jeff Koons, as well as the world’s foremost collection of works by Pop art legend Andy Warhol, rumored to be in excess of 1,000 pieces.”

“We collect art, and my husband’s a dealer so we live with a lot of art at home,” Libbie told Resident magazine, which described her as an “art consultant,” last October. “I love being part of the art world.” The magazine noted that the couple’s dining room was lined with “Flower” paintings by Andy Warhol.

David has reportedly been ordered by the court to pay Libbie $25,000 a month in spousal and child support, the news publication reported. “That figure does not include tuition for the couple’s two children, who attend private school. Libbie is reportedly living in their home in Water Mill, while the couple also owns a recently renovated home on Manhattan’s East 82nd Street. David’s lawyer, Lois Liberman, declined to comment on the case to artnet News, citing a gag order. Libbie’s lawyer did not respond to a request for comment.”

By Andrew Blodgett Mayfair

Rabbi Earning City Salary of $100K as Liaison for School Buses Under Scrutiny

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The New York Post is reporting that an Orthodox rabbi who earns a city salary of almost $100,000 as a so-called “yeshiva liaison” for school buses also has the use of a government car with which he commutes both to and from his home in Brooklyn, as well as $59,000-a-year driver and assistant.

Orthodox Rabbi Moshe Ausfresser, age 75, works just four days a week, co-workers told the Post. He reportedly takes all day Friday off for the Sabbath, even though it doesn’t begin until just before sundown.

“His personal assistant, Shersheial Borisute, chauffeurs the rabbi between his Borough Park home and the Office of Pupil Transportation in Long Island City, co-workers said,” the Post reported. “Borisute drops the rabbi off at the front door, then parks the car in a lot before going inside. The DOE called Borisute a “transportation coordinator,” but colleagues say he just drives and assists the rabbi — even fetching his lunch. “He coordinates the rabbi’s transportation,” one charged.”

The OPT, a unit of the Department of Education, oversees bus transportation for 150,000 kids in public, private and religious schools.

The office has come under fire since September, the Post’s Susan Edelman wrote. “An OPT hotline has received 135,685 calls so far this year, including complaints about late or no-show buses, compared to 114,346 last year. And whistleblowers charged that supervisors have let bus companies hire drivers without adequate background checks.”

The Post has reported that several OPT employees commute in city-issued cars but do little or no field work, which the rules require. “We take allegations of misuse very seriously and this matter is being investigated,” said DOE spokeswoman Miranda Barbot, who refused to discuss specific employees.

The newspaper has also reported that Chancellor Richard Carranza has fired an official who oversaw busing and food service, Eric Goldstein, and on Friday accepted the resignation of ex-deputy chancellor Elizabeth Rose, who supervised Goldstein.

“Ausfresser, who joined the education department in 2007, is the only OPT employee who serves a single religious group,” the story continues. “His current salary is $98,646, the DOE said, but records show he collected $101,873 in fiscal year 2017. Borisute, who joined the DOE in 2016, makes $58,922 — about the same or more than investigators who probe alleged misconduct by bus drivers and escorts.”

Ausfresser “demands immediate attention to yeshiva problems, and insists that bus drivers be removed, even if unwarranted,” according to co-workers quoted in the Post article. “When there’s an issue, he wants it done right way — drop everything,” one said. The rabbi also goes up the DOE chain for favors, but doesn’t always get what he wants, staffers said. In one case, a yeshiva student reported a lost velvet bag used to hold prayer shawls. The rabbi claimed it was found near a bus yard. “The rabbi wanted to make a hate crime out of it,” a co-worker said. “He even went to the police.”

By Howard Riell

Cuomo Announces $13B in Renovations for JFK Airport Improvement Plans

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Gov. Andrew Cuomo has been big on shiny infrastructure projects, including the opening of the second span of the new bridge replacement for the old Tappan Zee Bridge. The governor has also talked before about the need to update and innovate the city airports, especially after former Vice President Joe Biden described La Guardia Airport as a “third-world country.”

While plans for a new and improved John F. Kennedy Airport have been in the works, the public is finally getting some of the new details. The improvements to existing infrastructure will be major and noticeable, but the biggest detail from Cuomo’s plans would mean boosting the airport by giving it two new terminals, which would take up space from some current terminals.

The plans would come at a cost though, estimated at $13 billion now after originally being estimated at $10 billion. The airport is not only one of the busiest in the country, serving a mega metropolitan area, but it’s also the gateway into America for a number of international travelers. The governor sees a need to make sure that these people get a world-class experience as they arrive in America and New York, instead of arriving to find outdated and inefficient infrastructure keeping them stranded and confused out in southern Queens.

The renderings also released give a preview as well for some of the improvements that could come, with some ideas getting outside of the box to try and reimagine what the airport experience can be like.

The city boasts plenty of great park space, and Queens has the most parkland out of all the boroughs. The renderings right now show plans for High Line-like parks fit down to scale and spreads throughout the airport. Also included in renderings are Chelsea Market, Flushing Meadows’s iconic Unisphere, and sculptures meant to also feature some of the city’s most notable and memorable images. The airport will even have a so-called “Central Park,” area. There’s no guarantee that these ideas will all come to fruition, with the plans and renderings subject to change.

Terminal One Group will head up the task of putting together the terminal that will be at the southern end of the airport, closer to the beach than to Manhattan. A number of airlines make up the group, including Lufthansa, Air France, Japan Airlines, and Korea Air Lines. The project will

There is a planned expansion of the Van Wyck Expressway to ensure that more people can get to the airport and with less traffic. As a major thoroughfare, the expansion serves more than just people going to the airport. Locals will have to deal with construction and then a permanent increase in noise and air pollution from the increased capacity for transit.

No plans seem to be in place to incentivize or improve mass transit options. The Regional Planning Association’s Fourth Plan includes suggestions that could provide one-seat rides from midtown Manhattan that would only take about a half hour. The project, among other obstacles, heavily relies on reopening the decades-long abandoned Rockaway Beach branch right-of-way.

By: Linda Faya

Memorial Sloan Kettering’s Leaders in Glaring Conflict of Interest

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Memorial Sloan Kettering is at the center of some controversy coming after an investigative report showed three of its leaders have a glaring conflict of interest with Paige.AI. The three people include a member of the health system’s executive board, the chairman of its pathology department, and the head of one of its research laboratories. The equity stake they have in Paige.AI is what’s in question, and an additional three board members have investments with Paige.AI, The New York Times and ProPublica report.

Memorial Sloan Kettering offers its 25 million patient tissue slides and pathologist libraries to Paige.AI. This arrangement raises questions over whether such a deal creates an unfair advantage for Paige.AI. which some argue give Paige.AI an advantage over its competitors.

A letter written by President and CEO Craig Thompson and COO Kathryn Martin described why they believed there are “mischaracterizations included in the [New York Times/Propublica] article,” adding that “no patient tissue, patient slides or protected health information has been — or will be — used by, or shared with, Paige. AI.”

Pathologists working for Memorial Sloan Kettering weren’t buying that line of thinking though because of the appearance that it would be unfair to competitors. They were also worried about patient privacy issues.

Charitable foundations, like Memorial Sloan Kettering, need to show that they don’t provide assets to insiders for less than the fair market value.

“It just seems awfully coincidental that the individuals involved happen to be people in control and influence of that asset, and they ended up with an exclusive use of it,” Marcus Owens, a Washington lawyer who ran the IRS division that oversees tax-exempt organizations, said to the New York Times and ProPublica in their joint investigation. “It seems to create a cascading series of conflicts for the operation of Sloan Kettering.”

Memorial Sloan Kettering insists that offers were made to anyone on the outside before insiders could have their chances and that everything else was also done in compliance with all rules and regulations.

“This is an incredibly expensive undertaking — it needs a lot of money,” Dr. Gregory Raskin, the hospital’s vice president of technology development, said. “We feel this is a really valuable and important technology to get developed.”

“It just seems awfully coincidental that the individuals involved happen to be people in control and influence of that asset, and they ended up with an exclusive use of it,” Marcus S. Owens, a Washington lawyer with prior I.R.S. experience said. He specifically dealt with these kinds of entities during his time with the government. “It seems to create a cascading series of conflicts for the operation of Sloan Kettering.”

By: John Floyd

Unauthorized Torah Celebration in Boro Park Leaves One Person Arrested

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Celebration escorting Torah scroll turns ugly when NYPD orders unauthorized march to disperse. Police need additional units to handle riot

A festive celebration in New York’s haredi-dominated Borough Park community turned ugly after police ordered the unauthorized gathering to disperse.

On Sunday, a festive event was held to celebrate entering a new Torah scroll into the Dzebo Bais Hamedrash on 51nd Street between 15th and 16th Avenues. Called a ‘Hachnasat Sefer Torah’, the event involved thousands of Jews singing and dancing as they escort the new scroll into the sanctuary.

However, the event organizers had not received police approval for the large-scale event. Things turned ugly after law enforcement ordered the marchers to disperse for blocking traffic, deteriorating into a small riot.

As officers attempted to clear the street, they approached and commanded individual participants, who didn’t immediately respond to their instruction, according to the Matzav web site. Officers claim that they were obligated to ensure that the street remained opened and passable.

The site reported that officers made physical contact with pedestrians who they claim did not adhere to their verbal admonitions to stay out of the street. All the people that were involved were male onlookers. There was one female officer at the scene who attempted to handcuff the man that was eventually detained.

Nearby pedestrians yelled that the officer had instigated the altercation and that the man should be released, as was reported by Matzav. As events ensued, tens of people took out their cell phones and videotaped the melee, with some charging that they would use the video against the police as evidence of brutality.

The Matzav website reported that police traded fisticuffs with a hassidic man who was summarily arrested. Hundreds of yeshiva students later protested outside the 66th Precinct on 16th Avenue and 59th Street where he was being held, with officers being called a “Nazi” by the crowd.

In order to manage the chaos, police were forced to call in reinforcements as some Boro Park residents grew increasingly unruly.

Jewish community leaders pleaded for calm after the violence. “I’m concerned about the arrest of one of our citizens, but let’s not jump to conclusions just yet, I’m urging everyone to exercise restraint, we will get to the bottom of what happened,” tweeted New York Assemblyman Dov Hikind.

The Matzav site was told that an investigation into the incident is underway. Detectives will be examining footage from the incident to determine if the officers involved acted correctly. Charges against the individual who was arrested have not yet been announced.

“We’re just shocked by the chaos,” said one Chassidic woman. “Everyone knows that our community and the NYPD have a remarkable relationship. To see conflict like this was just so out of the ordinary and simply astounding. We respect the police greatly, but we also hope that proper measures were taken and that no one was treated unfairly. Time will tell.”

By: Tzvi Lev

Failing Scores of NYC Students on Writing Portion of State Exams Raises Concern

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The abysmal scoring of NYC students on state exams is raising concern over the level of education, and even doubt about whether the test results accurately portray students’ aptitude. A new study has revealed that NYC students are increasingly doing poorly on the writing portion of state exams. Fred Smith and Robin Jacobowitz utilized the Freedom of Information Law to forcefully obtain ELA test result data, and compiled a report entitled, “Tests are Turning our Children into Zeroes: A Focus on Failing.” As opposed to the multiple choice questions, the 9 or 10 open-ended writing questions on the exams require children to think critically and demonstrate their broader understanding of topics in the stories read. The report shows a steep increase in the number of “zeroes” students earned for the essay portion of the English Language Arts tests administered, for grades 3 through 8, by the state between 2013 and 2016. A score of zero meant a student wrote something “totally inaccurate,” “unintelligible,” or “indecipherable”, as these questions were supposed to be worth 2 to 4 points each.

“Its easier to fake a multiple-choice question,” said David Bloomfield, a Brooklyn College and CUNY Grad Center professor. “The lack of intelligible answers in the open-ended section is of particular concern. It raises the question of whether students are truly learning to become creative thinkers.”

As reported by the NY Post, in particular of roughly 78,000 NYC third-graders tested, the report found the number of students who scored zeroes on three or more written answers doubled from 14 percent in 2012 to 28 percent in 2013, the year when state tests were redesigned to suite the tougher Common Core standards. Over the next three years, though the third-graders were taught nothing but Common Core curriculum from kindergarten and up, they still scored zeroes at the same alarming rate. The number of test takers with three or more zeroes on the state exam was still 28 percent in 2014, and 29 percent in 2015. In 2016, the last year for which data was available, the state even removed time limits, but the difference was insignificant with 27 percent earning quadrupole zeroes.

The report also showed a widening of the racial achievement gap. The number of African American students scoring three or more zeroes was 10 percent higher than white pupils in 2013, but 18 percent higher in 2016. In that time frame, also the gap between Hispanic and White students expanded from 11 percent up to 20 percent.

The disappointing ELA results have the report authors Smith and Jacobowitz pointing a finger at the test makers, and questioning how well suited the questions are for the grade level. “We conclude that testing instruments that put children in a virtual stupor cannot be defended as sound testing practice, nor as a way to raise standards or serve as a foundation for high-stakes decisions…” Parents and teachers also complained that the test was a great source of frustration for students.

State officials, however, denied that the exams were unsuitable. The state paid $32 million to testing vendor, Pearson, over a five-year contract. “In general, zeroes would not imply a flaw in the test; rather, it would demonstrate students struggled to master the content being assessed,” said a state spokesperson.

For 2017 and 2018, the tests were produced by a different vendor, Questar, under a new five-year $44.7 million contract. Also the math and ELA tests were reduced from three to two days each to reduce the stress on the children. The state has not yet revealed any clues as to how many students achieved zeros on these exams. Smith contends that parents should intervene to demand full disclosure before the 2019 state tests.

By Ilana Siyance