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Was Kushner Trying to “Unload” Observer Media on Haim Saban ?

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Kushner

Jared Kushner reportedly placed his Observer Media into a family trust when he joined his father-in-law, President Trump, as an adviser in the White House, the New York Post is reporting.

 

Kushner, the Post claims, was “secretly engaged in talks to sell his struggling news organization — which had abandoned its weekly print edition right after the 2016 election — to billionaire Univision Chairman Haim Saban and David Brock, the progressive media figure with aspirations to turn the news outlet into “the Breitbart of the left,” according to BuzzFeed.”

 

Ken Kurson, the paper’s editor at the time, told the Post that Kushner was not the one who initiated talks “and largely recused himself after an initial discussion, according to BuzzFeed. But Kushner’s brother-in-law, Joseph Meyer, the Observer publisher, was part of the sale talks.”

 

Observer Media’s web site characterizes it as a diversified media, information and services company with interests in digital media such as Observer and Commercial Observer, and information platforms including Realgraph. “Observer is a digital media company, chronicling the world’s power players in business, policy, entertainment, technology, art, travel, real estate and dining. Through credible, authoritative and thought-leadership content, Observer inspires and challenges an urban audience of global thinkers, business leaders and luxury consumers.”

 

Commercial Observer is the leading commercial real estate media company. Its content, events and platforms connect and inform industry participants of the key trends and leaders defining the global real estate landscape, the company says. RealGraph, a digital platform launched in 2017, connects commercial industry real estate professionals and businesses.

 

On February 26, Commercial Observer announced that it has expanded its coverage to include the greater Los Angeles metropolitan area. The New York-based publication will bring the same exclusive, in-depth reporting of all aspects of the commercial real estate industry to Los Angeles including leasing, finance, investment sales and design and construction news, it said in a release.

 

“Coverage of the L.A. market will feature a mix of transactional news, professional profiles, industry insights and bylined articles written by local commercial real estate professionals.

 

“By expanding its coverage nationally to Los Angeles, Commercial Observer is following the needs of its readers and clients,” said James Karklins, president of Commercial Observer. “Commercial Observer produces best-in-class reporting of the commercial real estate industry, providing a platform that allows companies the opportunity to speak directly to their target audiences–including lenders, owners, brokers and other professional services firms servicing the industry–wherever they are.”

 

In addition to its breaking news coverage online, the firm added, Commercial Observer has launched a weekly Los Angeles e-newsletter, Los Angeles Weekly Pulse that will deliver regional and national commercial real estate market news directly to more than 10,000 industry professionals across the region.

 

 

Jewish Officials Slam Putin for Accusing Jews of Election Meddling

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Putin

In a shocking statement made on a NBC interview on Saturday, Russian strong man, Vladimir Putin has suggested that the culprits behind Russian interference in the 2016 presidential elections were not Russians but other minorities including Jews.

The Russian president insinuated that those responsible for political fixing could be “Ukrainians, Tatars or Jews but with Russian citizenship…maybe they have dual citizenship or a green card; maybe the US paid them for this. How can you know that? I do not know either.”

Responding to the accusation, the American Jewish Committee (AJC) said that Putin’s words were “eerily reminiscent of the Protocols of the Elders of Zion,” demanding that Putin should clarify his comments “at the earliest opportunity.”

The Protocols of Elders of Zion is an infamous anti-Semitic fabricated text purporting to describe a Jewish plan for global domination. The forgery was first published in Russia in 1903. According to the claims made by some of its publishers, the Protocols are the minutes of a late 19th-century meeting where Jewish leaders discussed their goal of global Jewish hegemony by subverting the morals of non-Jews, and by controlling the press and the world’s economies.

In Israel, Members of Knesset (MK) Ksenia Svetlova and Nachman Shai called on the Israeli government to condemn Putin’s remarks.

“Maybe the Jews interfered in the American elections, maybe the Jews control the world, maybe Jews slaughtered the Jews in Poland. For all those allegations, there is one origin: Jew-hatred,” stated Svetlova, demanding that the government “come out strongly against these serious remarks made by the Russian president.”

“If Israel won’t defend the Jews, nobody will do so in its place,” she underscored.
“This is the worst form of anti-Semitism,” said Shai.

Putin’s comments “demonstrate that nothing has changed in the perception of Jews as those responsible for the ‘world’s evil.’ A strong response is required from the Israeli government,” he demanded.

“I would expect Jewish organizations to join and condemn these serious remarks. They also carry responsibility for the fate of the Jewish people, whoever and wherever they are,” he added.

 

 

NJ Town Seeks Ferry to Dock Near Upscale Resort Co-Owned by Jared Kushner

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Kushner

Seems as though the name of the White House’s senior advisor Jared Kushner has been dominating headlines as of late.  The matters being investigated undoubtedly do not paint him in a good life from a professional perspective.

 

It was recently reported that the federal government has been offering advice to the Jersey Shore town of Long Branch on what the best ways are of constructing a special pier and launching a ferry service that would ultimately transport New York City residents directly to a resort that is co-owned by Kushner.

 

Back in 2008, the Federal Transit Administration, an agency that works in conjunction with the Transportation Department gave the city of Long Branch $3.34 million to reconstruct a fishing pier that had been a favorite amongst the indigenous population and a wide variety of tourists. The amount proffered however was not nearly sufficient to complete a project of this magnitude. Elected city officials and other local leaders have been in negotiations with federal transit officials on possible ways to submit applications for further aid.

 

The officials say the agency highlighted the ferry plan at a conference last year as a promising way to improve traffic by getting commuters off the roads. Long Branch also receives some technical assistance and guidance from FTA on how to manage its current grant.

 

According to published reports, Kushner resigned as CEO of his family’s company in January 2017 to join the White House, but according to a December financial disclosure report he still owns part of the Pier Village resort, which is currently selling its beachfront condos.

 

If the pier is rebuilt on its historic site and the ferry starts up, the value of those condos could rise as much as 50 percent, said Howard Woolley, Long Branch’s former business administrator.

 

Kushner Cos. spokeswoman Christine Taylor said the pier would benefit Long Branch, and had “no specific benefit to us versus anyone else” in town.

 

The federal government, however finds itself in an untenable position, as it is assisting a project that would benefit Kushner in a professional business capacity. Naturally, conflicts of interests arise, being that Kushner still retains the formidable role of White House senior advisor.

 

Once the project is complete, a former city official said, it would boost property values at the Kushner resort, which is currently selling 269 condos for as much as $1.9 million each.

 

If the pier is rebuilt on its historic site and the ferry starts up, the value of those condos could rise as much as 50 percent, said Howard Woolley, Long Branch’s former business administrator.

 

Kushner Cos. spokeswoman Christine Taylor said the pier would benefit Long Branch, and had “no specific benefit to us versus anyone else” in town.

 

“Of course, we, like other high-class developers, discuss projects that help the communities that we serve,” she said in a statement. “To suggest that we have done anything unethical is patently false and appears to be drummed up again for political gain.”

 

A Chinese firm that helps raise money from wealthy Chinese as part of a U.S. visa-for-investment program published an article on its website last year listing Pier Village as an attractive investment. The firm did not respond to emails seeking comment. Kushner Cos. has used the firm for other real estate projects, but said it made “no efforts in the past” to tap the visa program for Pier Village.

 

In Long Branch, the Kushner family has been developing property for generations.

Kushner’s mother and father own a block-long, $7.6 million estate on the beach.

The family business also has benefited from local tax breaks to build out the Pier Village resort.

 

 

World Values Network Takes Over Plaza Hotel in Star-Studded Gala

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World Value Network

The World Values Network held its “Sixth Annual Champions of Jewish Values International Awards Gala,” on Thursday March 8, 2018 at the renowned Plaza Hotel with cocktails beginning at 5:30 PM.  It is quite an achievement for a relatively small organization to hold a major dinner containing more than 600 people at the Plaza on a Thursday night.  For those who don’t know the leader of the Network, Shmuley Boteach is an unconventional Rabbi who skyrocketed to fame with his book “Kosher Sex.”  Newsweek named him one of the 50 most influential rabbis in the United States three years in a row.

Boteach has been an avid supporter of gay rights and believes that the biggest threat to marriage comes not from gay marriage but heterosexual divorce.  As a celebrity Rabbi who has appeared on Oprah numerous times and was a spiritual advisor and close friend to the legendary Michael Jackson, Boteach has friends in high places including Miriam and Sheldon Adelson who are fervent supporters of both his ideology and organization.  His fervent right wing positions on Israel and its settlements made him a frequent foe of the Obama administration.  Boteach utilizes his organization to publish papers decrying the anti-Semitism of former friend Cory Booker and most recently singer Lorde and the BDS movement for demonizing Israel.  He has recognized and lauded Trump for his “emergence as a great champion of the Jewish People.”

 

Steve Mnuchin
Steve Mnuchin

Shmuley’s eclectic approach to Judaism was reflected in his diverse list of honorees which included:  Caitlyn Jenner, Steven Mnuchin, Sean Spicer, Ron Dermer, Dani Dayan, Scott Pikarksy, and Miss Israel Adar Gandelsman.  Honoring the transgender Caitlyn Jenner was certainly an “unorthodox” choice and Boteach explained he understood the opposition but “we fight for Israel and Jenner loves Israel and speaks out courageously for human rights.”

Jenner was accompanied by a 21-year-old Ivanka Trump transgender doppelganger named Sophia Hutchins.  The controversial Jenner was bombarded with selfies while the straitlaced Treasury Secretary, Steve Mnuchin, looked baffled by the commotion at his table.   An award was presented posthumously to Yoni Netanyahu, brother of Bibi.  Bibi accepted the award via video and praised Elie Wiesel as a “warrior on the battlefield of conscience.”

 

Miss Israel Adar Gandelsman and Elon Gold
Miss Israel Adar Gandelsman and Elon Gold

Brilliant Orthodox Comedian Elon Gold was the emcee and the crowd laughed uproariously when he joked how Israelis always make singular-plural and plural-singular making it impossible to get a word in because they repeat the same phrase eight times.

Philanthropist extraordinaire of Birthright, Michael Steinhardt, presented an award to former Miss Universe Israel Adar Gandelsman.  During the live auction prizes like box seats at the Yankees failed to sell so Boteach urged Jenner to auction off lunch with her which sold to a number of people.  Caitlyn Jenner even bid on lunch with Steinhardt for $10,000.  The talk of the evening amongst Steinhardt and DeSantis was President Trump’s moving the embassy to Jerusalem with Ron Desantis remarking that this was akin to the controversial decision of Truman to recognize Israel in 1948.  Sean Spicer reiterated the administration’s resolve remarking, “we knew he was going to be a real friend who was going to get results.  From day one, we knew that we were going to stop paying terrorists so they would end up paying terrorists who kill Jews.”

 

Mnuchin and Boteach
Mnuchin and Boteach

Spicer said he felt honored to have served in the Trump administration and loved the message of unity of the evening.  Mnuchin reiterated the Trump administration’s commitment to fighting terrorism and said they had opened a new terrorist targeting center in the Middle East to work on the ground to stop attacks.  He remarked that withholding funding and utilizing sanctions were great tools in stopping terrorist activity.  Mnuchin remarked, “This President is the greatest friend to the State of Israel… He is not only committed to making sure that Israel is safe, but that its neighbors and the rest of the world is safe from ballistic missiles and from Iran exporting terrorism throughout the region.”  Mnuchin said the President would reinstate sanctions against Iran if the existing agreement was left unaltered.  “In the past year we have put more sanctions on North Korea than all the administrations in the previous 20 years,” remarked Mnuchin who was referencing the recent historical decision of Kim Jong-Un to meet with the President.  All the years of Presidents tiptoeing diplomatically around the dictatorial Kim were futile: sanctions and words of “fire and fury” were the only effective methods.

 

Ambassador Ron Dermer and Congressman Ron DeSantis
Ambassador Ron Dermer and Congressman Ron
DeSantis

Israeli Ambassador Ron Dermer who received an award addressed Mnuchin and thanked him for his support and friendship with Israel remarking, “now that you are done with the tax cuts and have got the tariffs and everything out of the way, now we can actually start and strengthen the U.S-Israel economic relationship and bring it to unprecedented heights.”  He also added that there has never been a President who has shown greater support for Israel.

As the evening concluded, Caitlyn Jenner accepted her award and spoke tearfully about the 1972 Olympics where she witnessed the Munich massacre in a nearby dormitory.  Jenner also said she admired the Jews for their commitment to their families and called Boteach and his wife, Debbie, “the bomb” for having 9 children joking “I have ten but it took me three women” to get there.  Jenner lauded Israel for its pro-homosexual and pro-transgender policies being only one of 19 nations that allow transgenders to serve in the army.  As the diverse honorees stood on stage to take pictures with their awards guests hurried to the lobby for some delectable desserts while r

All of the big names with Shmuley Boteach the head of World Values Network in the Center

ecounting the unusual highlights of the evening.

Standing Left to Right: Stuart Force, Rivkah Kidron, Seated: Robbie Force, Sander Gerber and Meir Klifi-Amir

“Pharma Bro” Gets 7 Years, Big Loss for Ben Brafman

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pharma bro
Daily Sabah

   Despite the appeals of criminal defense attorney Benjamin Brafman for a lighter sentence, “pharma bro”  Martin Shkreli’ is going to prison for seven years.

“Specifically, he is a kind, caring and generous person who uses his time and effort to help those in need. If not warehoused in prison, Martin could literally save lives”, Brafman wrote in a letter to Brooklyn federal court Judge Kiyo Matsumoto in a plea for a lighter sentence for the fraudster Shkreli.

“He is not evil or any of the other horrible things people have seen fit to say about him over the last several years…However, our society, our culture, and our judicial system can accommodate even Martin Shkreli”, Brafman continued in his unavailing petition.

Shkreli was convicted of defrauding a group of investors in two hedge funds he controlled by having claimed, among other things, that the funds were delivering healthy returns at a time when they were actually losing money, CNBC reported.

Shkreli gained infamous notoriety in 2015 when as CEO of Turing, he raised the price of its anti-parasite drug Daraprim by more than 5,000 percent, from $13.50 per pill to $750.

Recently, Judge Kiyo Matsumoto ruled that Shkreli’s criminal activity resulted in a loss of $10.4 million, which essentially dashed the hopes of a lighter sentence.  Federal guidelines call for a higher sentence based on how much the losses for the defrauded victim were , The Jewish Voice previously reported.

He also was convicted of manipulating shares in another drug company he later founded, Retrophin, whose stock and cash he also used to repay swindled investors in his hedge funds, MSMB Capital and MSMB Healthcare, CNBC reported.

Brafman  also wrote to  Matsumoto that the $7.3 million forfeiture judgment against him on top of a maximum sentence of 15 years was “far too excessive a punishment, The NY Post reported.

In addition to 7 years in prison and the large asset forfeiture, Matsumbo ruled that Shkreli must undergo mental health treatment and pay an additional $750,000 fine.

As the judge handed down the sentence, the cocky 34-year hedge fund manager, broke into tears telling the packed courtroom and judge, ‘“The only person to blame for me being here today is me”, The NY Post reported.

Shkreli’s lawyer Benjamin Brafman was also recently retained by Harvey Weinstein and recently was reported as saying “I think Harvey Weinstein is one of the most interesting people I’ve ever represented” , in an interview with The Sunday Times U.K.

 

Bush, Bibi , Adelson , Tisch, Sharansky at Cipriani

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Paula Zahn, Natan Sharansky and George Bush

“They call me Anatol in prison I do lie”-I can still remember singing that song in elementary school and listening lugubriously to the story of Natan Sharansky who was languishing in jail for no other reason then wanting to be a practicing jew.  On Wednesday March 7th 2018, at Cipriani 25 Broadway I had the privilege of attending an evening celebrating his release from prison more than 30 years later and the conclusion of his tenure at The Jewish Agency after nine years of service.  Sharansky was born in the Soviet Union in 1948 with a degree in applied mathematics.  In March 1977 he was arrested on multiple charges including high treason and spying for the Americans and sentenced to 13 years of forced labor.

 

In prison his health deteriorated to the point of near death; he kept himself sane by playing chess in his head-he was a chess prodigy even beating Garry Kasparov in a simultaneous exhibition in Israel in 1996.  Through the help of an international campaign led by his wife Avital he was released from jail in February 1986 as part of a larger exchange generated by Ronald Reagan pressuring Mikhail Gorbachev.  That Sharansky has not only survived but thrived in multiple arenas is miraculous.  I could never imagine I would be taking pictures of him and his wife Avital at a dinner in Cipriani thirty years after his detainment.

 

There was a palpable excitement in the air heightened by the extraordinary guest list which included Prime Minister Netanyahu and former President George W. Bush.  There were also your average super-billionaires including Sheldon and Miriam Adelson, James Tisch and Ira and Ingeborg Rennert.  To have a sitting Prime Minister attend a dinner with a former President is quite extraordinary and the Secret Service seemed slightly overwhelmed.  The evening opened with a beautiful rendition of the song “Al Kol Ele” by Ania Bukstein a Russian immigrant who arrived in Israel at the age of 8 where she said she felt reborn.

 

Adriel, Yadin and Danielle, Talya, Hartley, Faye Koschitzky, Tamar and Eric and Aryeh Goldstein, Julia and Henry Koschitzky, and Adin Goldstein

Ania thanked Sharansky for leading the way for Jews to enter the land of Israel where they now comprise over one million of the population.  James Tisch, CEO of Loews Corporation and the dinner chair, thanked the 500-person crowd for attending despite the nasty storm.  Tisch recounted the history of the Jewish Agency which 90 years ago was led by Ben Gurion and was up until today headed by Sharansky.  He thanked Avital for her efforts in freeing

Natan and said that Natan’s jailers failed spectacularly as he has been the unofficial spokesmen of Jews everywhere.  He said that Natan “never does what is easy but does what is right.”

 

We were then shown a film where Sharansky said he grew up without any Jewish identity and surprisingly remarked the biggest threat to the Jews was themselves.  The film spoke of the Agency’s new Shlichut Institute which trains students to be great emissaries by providing them with the tools and technology to connect Jews around the world to Israel.

 

Another great shaliach of the Jews, Rabbi Avi Weiss, spoke movingly about the struggle to free Natan and how Avital would light oil instead of candles on Friday night because she hoped a miracle akin to Chanukah would attain Sharansky’s release.  Weiss then led the crowd in singing “Am Yisroel Chai” an extremely apropos melody.

 

Garry Kasparov and Natan Sharansky

We were then treated to a fascinating panel where Paula Zahn moderated a discussion between Sharansky and Bush on democracy and freedom.  Sharansky thanked President Bush for meeting with 100 dissidents when he was President.  Sharansky said one of his best days in prison was reading the newspaper Pravda where Ronald Reagan called Russia “the evil empire.”  Bush denounced the current government in Russia remarking that it was not really a democracy as there was no independent media and joked that he would be popular too if he owned NBC.  Sharansky countered with his observation that on the good side Putin loves jews but on the bad side Russia is retreating from developed democracy.

 

However, Sharansky noted there was still no KGB controlling 200 million minds and no gulag; in the current Russia people are able to speak their mind freely in the town square as long as they don’t criticize the leaders.  President Bush had the audience in stitches when he recounted introducing Putin to his dog Barney, a pet whom he said nobody liked.   One year later Putin introduced Bush to his dog and Putin said his dog was bigger stronger and faster than Barney. Bush joked that Barney was dead and voting absentee.  He also said his father was doing well but not speaking much with his mother doing much of the talking. Bush took a hard stance against Putin saying he had a huge chip on his shoulder.  Bush remarked, “Putin is a zero sum thinker; I win and you lose.”

Former President George W. Bush and Danielle Neubauer

He also remarked Putin was pleased to see the disruptive elements in the American election as everything he does is poised to diminish America.  Bush said Iran was a great danger to Israel and other allies in the Middle East because while they have changed their spokesmen they haven’t changed decision makers-the unelected mullahs are still in place.

 

Speaking of Iran, Netanyahu who has made it his mission to speak out against the terrorist regime, did so again tonight.  Netanyahu began by thanking President Bush for his 8 years of friendship and support and for defending freedom around the world.  He also extolled Sheldon and Miriam Adelson calling them “the greatest philanthropists in the world”.  I have never had the opportunity to hear the Prime Minister speak in such an intimate setting and he is absolutely spellbinding.  There is no greater orator I can think of who speaks without notes.

 

– Monika Kruch, Ingeborg Rennert and Tallie Danon

Netanyahu had the audience mesmerized when he spoke of Sharansky telling him that when he would hear a plane go by in prison he would think of Netanyahu’s brother, Yoni, and Entebbe and know he was not alone because of the Jewish State.  “Yoni’s courage inspired you and your courage inspired me”, exclaimed Netanyahu who recounted Sharansky defying a Kangaroo court in Russia by declaring “next year in Jerusalem.”   Netanyahu said at the time when the Soviet Union was a communist regime he and Sharansky thought Russia was a hollow empire that looked strong on the outside but was weak on the inside.

 

Netanyahu felt a strong sustained leadership of the West could win a Cold War and that’s what they proceeded to do with President Reagan and Secretary Schultz who Netanyahu called  “magnificent” leading the way.  “If you press hard enough they will crack,” Netanyahu told the wife of Andrei Sakharov who feared he would die in prison.  He then compared Russia to the Iranian regime which also oppresses its people and terrorizes its neighbors.  “Iran too has a hollow core and if you press them they will crack,” exclaimed Netanyahu.

He exhorted the audience to honor Natan’s legacy by supporting the young people in Iran fighting for freedom.  He concluded by describing the day Sharansky zigzagged across the bridge to freedom in the morning and ended the evening carried on the shoulders of “our people” to the Western Wall.  He praised Sharansky for campaigning for all those left behind in the iron curtain after he was freed.  “Nine years in prison, nine years in Politics and nine years in the Jewish Agency, I don’t know which were more excruciating,” joked Netanyahu.

 

The Sharansky family

While Netanyahu is currently under fire in his country he has made an indelible impression on his visit to the United States.  When Sharansky concluded the evening he thanked those who had braved the storm and Netanyahu who was “facing many storms,” a joke Netanyahu didn’t seem to hear.  The night ended with Sharansky dancing enthusiastically while accepting a chess board from the legendary Garry Kasparov – the ultimate conclusion to a once-in-a-lifetime evening.

Miriam Adelson and Julia Koschitzky
Sheldon Adelson

Tens of Thousands of Runners from 60 countries Around the world to run Jerusalem Marathon on March 9, 2018

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Thousands of Israelis and elite runners from 60 countries around the globe will be uniting this Friday, March 9, 2018 in Jerusalem for the upcoming Jerusalem Winner Marathon. The marathon takes runners along a breathtaking route that melds physical endurance and changes in altitude with spectacular mountain scenery and historic Jerusalem culture and heritage sites that reveal the 3,000 year old story of this historic city.

This year’s Jerusalem Marathon marks 50 years since the reunification of the capital and is expected to be the largest marathon to take place in the city ever, breaking records both in the numbers of Israeli and foreign participants.  To date, over 30,000 marathon runners from 60 countries have pledged their participation.  The route takes runners past historic cultural and heritage sites including the Knesset, Machaneh Yehuda Marketplace, Mount Scopus, the Old City, David’s Tower, Haas Promenade and more.

Also breaking a record this year is the Shalva Team, a group dedicated to bringing the joy of sports to people of all abilities. Shalva, Israel’s Association for the Care and Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities, provides transformative care for individuals with disabilities, empowers their families, and promotes social inclusion. Shalva National Center in Jerusalem, the Association’s brand-new $200,000 compound, is the largest and most technologically-advanced center of its kind in Israel for children with disabilities. Providing therapy, activities, rehabilitation, and educational programs for 2,000 children on a weekly basis completely free of charge, it is a model and paradigm of caring for individuals with special needs. Its programs provide an all-encompassing range of services for hundreds of individuals from infancy to adulthood. Additionally, it supports and enables families to raise their children with disabilities within a wholesome family framework.

This year, Shalva Team has assembled over 1,500 caring individuals who will run special segments of the track in support of Shalva, most notably the 800-meter long segment designated for individuals with special needs. This record-breaker makes Shalva the largest among the Marathon’s Community teams.  As a proud member of the Community Teams since the launching of the first Jerusalem Marathon eight years ago, Shalva Team is the Marathon’s longest-standing Community Team.

Excitement is peaking at Shalva Center as the kids and their families prepare to run the Community race. Months of preparation have built up to this exciting moment, with great effort invested in order to facilitate the maximum number of participants in the marathon.

Aside for Shalva’s children and their families, Shalva Team will also encompass hundreds of runners at different points in the track, as well as runners who will complete the entire 42.2 kilometer route. 555 runners are flying in from countries around the world to participate in this exhilarating event including Shalva supporters from the USA, Canada, United Kingdom, Mexico, and Australia. Shalva Team runners are sponsored by assorted parties in order to raise money for the Association and enable it to absorb more children into its programs, expand existing programs, and provide greater support to families.

Running beside the Shalva kids and their families are over 300 soldiers from the Duvdevan elite special forces; police officers; combat soldiers; MDA volunteers; and many school children.  Israeli’s unrivaled tennis star Shahar Pe’er, who won five singles and three doubles titles on the WTA tour, as well as four singles and three doubles titles on the ITF tour, will also join the runners alongside Olympic judoka medalist Uri Sasson; The Amazing Race host Ron Shachar; and Miss Israel Rotem Rabi.

Executive Director of Shalva Avi Samuels shares: “Shalva’s kids are an integral part of the Jerusalem Marathon, avid participants since its inception, and we eagerly await the event every year. Shalva’s role in the Marathon is a fundamental social declaration, a statement that we wholeheartedly embrace people who are different from us into the heart of our national community. This is not about a race, about winning or losing, but about sharing and working, doing and accomplishing together on behalf of children with special needs. It’s a heartwarming project that grants children, their families, the staff and our dedicated volunteers much strength and energy to keep going. We are very grateful for the privilege to perpetuate this wonderful tradition, and we express our thanks to the Jerusalem Municipality and Mayor Nir Barkat for his continued support.”

Personal Reflections on the 2018 AIPAC Annual Policy Conference in Washington, DC

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American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) held its annual policy conference at the Washington Convention Center from Sunday March 4th-Tuesday March 6th 2018.  AIPAC which began in the 1950s as a relatively obscure organization has transformed into an influential behemoth becoming pivotal on the schedule of nearly every Washington politician and one of the most powerful lobbying groups in the United States.  AIPAC describes itself as a bipartisan organization with representatives from both parties heading to the conference including: Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Steny Hoyer (D-MD), Mitch McConnell (R-KY), and Rep Kevin McCarthy (R-CA)-with Nancy Pelosi scheduled to attend but an apparent no-show.

Over the years it has been leaning towards the right as the Republican party continues to manifest its stronger commitment to Israel and its priorities.  While prior years were sold-out way in advance this year $600 tickets were available up until a couple of days before.  This year’s agenda touted AIPAC’s vast accomplishments in advancing its pro-Israel agenda and reiterated its goal of curbing Iran’s power and limiting financial support for the Palestinians while also targeting the BDS movement for its anti-Israel campaign.

Similar to last year, Nikki Haley was the star of the convention with the crowd giving her lengthy standing ovations and screaming “We love you Nikki” from the audience. (JNS.org)

The 18,000 attendees this year contained hundreds of students and participants who flew in from California, Israel and other far-flung locales.  However, the most consequential year of the convention was 2016 where the electricity of an election year was palpable with candidates Trump, Cruz, Kasich and Clinton heading to the hallowed halls of AIPAC.  This convention was more relaxed without the urgency of the anti-Israel Presidency of Obama and without the consequential stakes of a presidential candidacy.  In fact, with the most pro-Israel Presidency of all time in place at the White House AIPAC, almost had a celebratory feel to it.

As UN Ambassador to Israel David Friedman strolled the halls the crowd surrounded him with hugs and praise excited at the prospect of the Embassy being moved to Jerusalem.  There was also a massive AIPAC village erected with a kosher cafeteria and coffeehouse with David Broza and other musicians playing throughout the three-day convention.  The conference hashtags were #ChooseToLead and #AIPAC2018 manifesting the lighter mood of an organization that had previously been in emergency mode.

In fact, Sunday evening contained no speakers with breakout sessions and general sessions being the dominant activities and guests heading to socialize at events held by CAMERA, ZOA, and ELNET at various locations throughout Washington.  There was also a Real Estate networking event held at the Convention Center which contained bigwigs from major companies.  However, the hotspot was the Marriott Marquis where hundreds gathered in the lobby for meetings and drinks throughout the morning and evening hours.  Security was tight with badges being scanned and IDs required at nearly every checkpoint.  However, the massive demonstrations of previous years where television crews from around the globe were stationed outside the Hotel were nowhere to be found.

AIPAC President Mort Fridman addressing participants at the AIPAC Policy Conference in Washington, D.C., March 4, 2018. (AIPAC)

Moreover, the Convention Center was the sole venue for speakers as opposed to the one-mile away Verizon Center of last year where many lazy AIPAC A-listers complained of the endless trek.  One major drawback of the Convention Center was the lack of raised levels making it nearly impossible to see the speakers if you didn’t have the right credentials -a fate I was confined to.  The first major speeches were held on Monday at 5:00 PM at the Convention Center where lines snaked around the corner to hear US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley and VP Mike Pence speak.  Similar to last year, Nikki Haley was the star of the convention with the crowd giving her lengthy standing ovations and screaming “We love you Nikki” from the audience.

Not only is she beautiful, donning a Chanel-like light blue dress, but she is humble, brilliant and soft-spoken.  She recounted her upbringing as a child of Indian immigrants who was often bullied by her neighbors and who hates bullies-including those at the UN who she said bullied Israel.  After receiving multiple ovations, she declared that in making Jerusalem the capital of Israel President Trump was recognizing a reality that had been denied for too long.  She then said the United States was taking names to see who voted against Israel when it made determinations regarding foreign aid-an unbelievable declaration.

She praised Guatemala, which she recently visited, for moving its embassy to Jerusalem and said she can’t understand why an organization such as the UN which is comprised of 193 countries spends half of its time attacking Israel.  She scoffed at the notion that the US was showing favoritism to Israel declaring there was nothing wrong with appreciating an ally.  There were some in the audience expressing hope that Haley might run for President as the crowd’s adoration for Haley was insatiable.

When Chuck Schumer arrived to comparatively tepid enthusiasm he started his speech, as he always does, with a lengthy joke.  Schumer has proven himself to be a weak friend of Israel; hesitant to denounce the disastrous Iran deal and recently calling on Orthodox Jews to denounce Trump’s failure to confront hate groups despite Trump’s unabashed and unprecedented support of the Jewish people-let’s not forget Trump’s recent pardoning of Sholom Rubashkin.

Schumer spoke out against the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement and the need to contain the significant threat of Iran taking up residency in Syria becoming dangerously close to Israel’s border.  While saying all the right things Schumer’s continued use of Hebrew words such as Hashem and “Am Yisrael Chai” came across as pedantic and insincere as it was clear he was trying to curry favor with his massive audience.

Contrastingly, a sincere friend of Israel, VP Mike Pence, who became the first US Vice President to address the Knesset in January where he received one ovation after another as he referenced various Biblical passages and expressed his resolute support for Israel and the Jewish people, spoke once again of his and the President’s unflagging support of Israel.  He mistakenly called Trump the most “pro-life” President when he meant to say pro-Israel and reiterated that America stands with Israel because “it believes in liberty over tyranny”.  He spoke of his pride in President Trump’s decertification of the Iran nuclear deal and declared to tepid applause, that the President, with the agreement of both sides, would support a two-state solution.  He ended his speech with the prayer “Shehecheyanu, v’kiyimanu, v’higiyanu la ‘z’man ha’zeh”-not bad for a non-jew from Indiana.

As the speeches concluded at 7:00 PM guests headed to AIPAC village for a VIP reception replete with delicious food and revelry.  There was a UJA reception at the Marriott where CEO Eric Goldstein was accompanied by AIPAC President Mort Fridman and Executive Director Howard Kohr.  At the beginning of the conference, Kohr controversially declared his support for Palestinian statehood and expressed hopes that peace would be achieved between the two countries. Tonight his remarks were brief as he thanked CEO Eric Goldstein for his leadership.

As attendees gathered in the Marriott many were excitedly anticipating Netanyahu’s speech the next morning.  With security tight long lines gathered early on Tuesday morning to make their way to the Convention Center.  Netanyahu who rarely addresses AIPAC live, was embraced by the lively crowd and praised President Trump for recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and for moving the embassy to Jerusalem this May-Israel’s Independence Day.  Netanyahu addressed the disastrous Iran nuclear deal and said peace with Abbas could only be achieved if he stopped supporting terror.  After Netanyahu’s warm reception attendees headed to their training sessions to practice talking points for the afternoon’s lobbying sessions-the raison d’ etre of AIPAC: the most consequential Jewish organization in existence.

 

Ezer Mizion Highlighted at the AIPAC Policy Conference in Washington, DC

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Israeli Non-Profit Featured for Building and Maintaining the World’s Largest Jewish Bone Marrow Registry; and For Their Work Saving Lives Around the World

 

To celebrate its presence and recognition at the event, Ezer Mizion proudly hosted a booth at AIPAC’s Annual Policy Conference located in “The Village.” The exhibition was designed by Berenbaum Jacob Associates, inspired by the concept of portraying Jewish Genetics-DNA and showcased the impact of the donors on the bone marrow recipients. The designers are known for combining unique and moving stories with deep, thought-provoking messages.

Ezer Mizion, Israel’s largest non-profit organization providing health support services in Israel and The Jewish Bone Marrow Registry around the world, was prominently featured by The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) at its recently held policy conference in Washington for its growing efforts and contributions in Israel, the United States and around the world with a special emphasis on its global bone marrow registry. At this year’s conference, Ezer Mizion unveiled its new #SharedLife campaign through which the organization plans to raise awareness of its bone marrow initiative.

 

 

Established in 1979, Ezer Mizion began as a non-profit in Israel. It was founded by Chananya Chollak who was inspired from his experience with local medical care units and hospitals following his father-in-law’s sudden illness. In addition to his family’s experience, Mr. Chollak took notice of the toll that illnesses were having both emotionally and financially on other Jewish families and it was that empathy upon which the foundation of Ezer Mizion was built. Today, the organization reaches more than 670,000 individuals from Israel and around the world.

 

 

Naftali Bennett, Israel Minister of Education and Diaspora Affairs addresses the enthusiastic audience assembled at the Ezer Mizion presentation at the recently held AIPAC policy conference

In 1998, Dr. Bracha and Moti Zisser founded the Ezer Mizion’s Bone Marrow Registry. What originally began as a registry in Israel has today expanded to be the largest Jewish Bone Marrow Registry around the world. It has 885,264 registrants (including 470,038 IDF recruits), has successfully matched nearly 12,000 patients, and has facilitated nearly 3,000 transplants.

 

 

A key differentiator for Ezer Mizion is its exclusive partnership with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). The partnership was initiated and facilitated by Motti and Dr. Bracha Zisser. The agreement was signed in 2005. The IDF obtains swab samples from incoming soldiers for the Ezer Mizion Bone Marrow Registry. Statistics show that bone marrow donations from younger individuals (beginning at age 18) have a higher rate of success for the matched recipients. The partnership with IDF grants Ezer Mizion access to a sampling pool which includes young candidates from various ethnic backgrounds. Each recruitment cycle allows the organization to receive a fresh, diverse set of new registrants.

 

 

With the launch of the #SharedLife campaign, Ezer Mizion plans to educate the public about the importance of bone marrow registration and the advancements in the process including how a simple cheek swab is all it takes to join the registry.

 

“We are truly honored to be invited as a featured guest at this year’s AIPAC Annual Policy Conference,” said Dr. Bracha Zisser, Director of the Bone Marrow Registry at Ezer Mizion. “It is an inspiring experience to be surrounded by so many like-minded individuals and groups coming together in support of the State-of-Israel and the Jewish people. Our goal as an organization is to relieve pain, save lives, and utilize this opportunity to raise awareness of the Bone Marrow Registry.”

 

 

To celebrate its presence and recognition at the event, Ezer Mizion proudly hosted a booth at AIPAC’s Annual Policy Conference located in “The Village.” The exhibition was designed by Berenbaum Jacob Associates, inspired by the concept of portraying Jewish Genetics-DNA and showcased the impact of the donors on the bone marrow recipients. The designers are known for combining unique and moving stories with deep, thought-provoking messages.

 

 

Ezer Mizion also unveiled the #Shared Life campaign, which was developed by Eff Creative Group of Times Square, NYC, an Inc. 500 company known for their award-winning social media movements, creative messaging, custom digital platforms and strategic marketing campaigns.

 

 

Ezer Mizion’s Executive Team hosted an exclusive ‘Meet and Greet,’ by invitation, with honorable guests Naftali Bennett, Israel Minister of Education and Diaspora Affairs and Ayelet Shaked, Israel Minister of Justice.

 

 

To learn more about Ezer Mizion, to donate, or to register as a donor, please visit: www.SharedLife.EzerMizion.org.

 

 

ABOUT EZER MIZION

Established in 1979 by Mr. Chananya Chollak, Ezer Mizion is one of the largest non-profit organizations in Israel providing medical and social support services. The organization provides a diverse range of services to positively impact the lives of the sick, disabled, elderly, and underprivileged. The organization benefits more than 670,000 people annually, has more than 25,000 volunteers to support its initiatives, and an annual budget of $100 million. One of the organization’s major initiatives, which was launched in 1998, is Bone Marrow Donor Registry. To date, this registry includes 885,264 active registrants, more than half of which are IDF recruits. Since its inception, nearly 12,000 positive matches have been established and nearly 3,000 transplants facilitated. To learn more about the organization, to donate, or to register as a donor, please visit: www.EzerMizion.org.

 

 

‘We Must Stop Iran. We Will Stop Iran,’ Netanyahu Tells AIPAC

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Iran is trying to build an “aggressive empire” in the Middle East and seeking to build bases in Syria from which to attack Israel, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu told delegates at the annual AIPAC policy conference in Washington DC on Tuesday. (Photo Credit: Taiwan News)

 

 

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In her address to the 2018 AIPAC Policy Conference, US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley also took aim at the Obama administration for abstaining on a late 2016 U.N. Security Council resolution condemning Israeli settlements, calling it a “shameful day” for the United States, adding that “on my watch, that would never happen again.”

Iran is trying to build an “aggressive empire” in the Middle East and seeking to build bases in Syria from which to attack Israel, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu told delegates at the annual AIPAC policy conference in Washington DC on Tuesday, as was reported by the Tazpit Press Service.

This year, it was reported that close to 20,000 pro-Israel supporters and lobbyists attended the annual confab that has traditionally drawn major political personalities from across the globe.

“Darkness is descending on our region,” Netanyahu said in a speech brimming with confidence. “Iran is building an aggressive empire: Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Gaza, Yemen, more to come. Now Iran is seeking to build permanent military bases in Syria, seeking to create a land bridge from Tartus, from Tehran to Tartus on the Mediterranean. And in addition to moving its army, its air force, its navy to Syria to be able to attack Israel from closer hand, it’s also seeking to develop, to build precision guided missile factories in Syria and Lebanon against Israel.

“I will not let that happen. We will not let that happen. We must stop Iran. We will stop Iran,” Netanyahu promised to a standing ovation.

The prime minister said that in his previous appearance before the conference he had tried to warn the world that the nuclear deal with Iran was a threat to the survival of Israel and the security of the region, but said that his warnings had gone unheeded and Tehran had become even more aggressive.

“I warned that Iran’s regime had repeatedly lied to the international community, that it could not be trusted,” Netanyahu said. “I warned that the deal gives Iran a clear path toward developing a nuclear arsenal in little more than a decade. And I warned that by removing Iran’s sanctions, Iran’s regime would not become more moderate and peaceful, but more extreme and belligerent, much more dangerous. And that’s exactly what has happened.”

Vice President Mike Pence told the AIPAC assemblage at the Washington Convention Center: “Unless the Iran nuclear deal is fixed in the coming months, the United States of America will withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal immediately. The United States of America will never allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon.”

Netanyahu also extended plaudits to President Trump for his December 6th recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, while warning of the growing threat posed by the Iranian regime, according to an INN report.

“As I told President Trump yesterday, it is especially great to be in America’s capital, now that he has recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital!

“Thank you President Trump, for that historic decision.

“Thank you for announcing another decision – to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem this Independence Day.”

Trump’s decision regarding the United States recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and moving the embassy there from Tel Aviv reversed decades of U.S. policy. Anti-Israel pundits across the political spectrum have posited that Trump’s decision has aggravated Arab allies and has complicated his administration’s attempt to revive long-stalled Middle East peace talks.

The Prime Minister said that the US had indicated that it was also committed to confronting Iranian expansion, saying the White House was prepared to challenge Tehran’s “aggression”.

“President Trump has made it clear that his administration will not accept Iran’s aggression in the region.

“He too will not accept a nuclear-armed Iran, and I salute him on this.”

Netanyahu also spoke glowingly of Israel’s military prowess, saying the IDF was stronger now than ever before, and cited US support for such projects as the Iron Dome missile defense system and the sale of US-built F-35 stealth fighters to the Israel Air Force, according to the INN report.

Addressing the AIPAC conference, US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman hailed President Trump’s “historic” recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, adding that it capped off a year of “historic firsts”, including the first visit to the Western Wall in Jerusalem by a sitting US president

“Israel has never been stronger militarily – tremendously strong! That’s an F-35 fighter plane, the most advanced in the world. That’s an Iron Dome missile defense system, which we developed with the help of America. Thank you, America!”

The Prime Minister said that Israel’s security establishment, particularly its military intelligence services, had played a major role in foiling “dozens of terror attacks” around the world, targeting various countries across the globe.

“In the last few years, Israel’s incredible intelligence services have foiled dozens, dozens of major terrorist attacks across the world in dozens of countries.”

“A plane could have been blown out of the sky as it headed from Australia to the Persian Gulf, if it weren’t for Israeli intelligence,” said Netanyahu, referencing the revelation February that an Israeli unit had helped thwart an ISIS attack on an Australian airliner, according to the INN report.

On the subject of the growing Israeli presence in business, technology and science, Prime Minister Netanyahu said “You know, these companies – Apple, Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Facebook – guess what? They all have research centers in Israel! Major research centers. And they’re not alone, there are hundreds more and there’s a reason: something is going on. It’s a great change. It’s want to hear jargon? This is a terrible sentence, but it’s the confluence of big data, connectivity, and artificial intelligence. You get that? You know what they do? It revolutionizes old industries and creates entirely new industries!”

He added: “Here’s an old industry we were always great at, agriculture. Now we have precision agriculture! See that drone in the sky? Connected to a big database there are sensors in the field, in the field drip irrigation, fertilization, and now we can target with this tech the water we give, the fertilizer we give, down to the individual plant that needs it. That’s precision agriculture, that’s Israeli!

You know, we were always good at water; I want you to see how good we are. We recycle almost 90 percent of our waste water. The next country, with less than 20 percent, is Spain.

Take these two things – agriculture, water – and the other tech we apply in both, we can change the world. We are, we are!”

Also on Tuesday, US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman lavished praise on President Trump; telling the American Israel Public Affairs Committee that supporters of Israel owe him a “tremendous debt” for his historic changes to the US-Israel relationship.

Friedman hailed President Trump’s “historic” recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, adding that it capped off a year of “historic firsts”, including the first visit to the Western Wall in Jerusalem by a sitting US president, according to an INN report.

“It was, to put it mildly, a year of firsts. We began last May, when the White House, for the first time, hosted a celebration of Israel Independence Day,” said Friedman

“A few weeks later, I became the first US ambassador to Israel to attend the celebration of Jerusalem Day, the 50th anniversary of the day Israel recaptured the Western Wall. Just the next day, President Trump became the first sitting president in American history to visit the… Western Wall.

“And by December of last year, we were, of course, in even greater historic territory, when President Trump declared Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

“I am so proud of what the Trump administration has accomplished this past year in regards to Israel.

“We owe Trump a tremendous debt of attitude. We entered historic territory when Trump declared Jerusalem as the capital of Jerusalem.

According to the INN report, Friedman also used his address Tuesday to lambast what he called “disingenuous” supporters of Israel, a veiled reference to self-described peace organizations.

”Saying that you are pro-Israel and pro-peace is disingenuous, continued Friedman. “Using that phrase suggests Israel is not pro-peace. Saying pro-Israel and pro- peace is a redundancy. If you support Israel, you support peace and it is dangerous to suggest otherwise.”

On Monday evening, Vice President Mike Pence addressed the attendees at the AIPAC Policy Conference. As a lifelong champion of the State of the Israel and the unity of the Jewish people, Vice President Pence has been a vocal advocate for the sovereignty of Israel for decades as a featured speaker at both Jewish and Christian evangelical events.

“Tonight, I bring greetings from a great friend of the State of Israel. The most pro-Israel president in United States history. I bring greetings from President Donald Trump,” he began his remarks.

According to the INN report, the Vice President expressed his personal thanks to President Trump for his remarkable leadership and declared that “the alliance between the United States and Israel has never been stronger. I’m here to convey a message from the President: America stands with Israel. Today, tomorrow, and always.”

“When I stood here last year, I promised you that President Trump would keep his promises and so he has. Today, American support for the security of the State of Israel is greater than ever before.”

Pence noted that under Ambassador Nikki Haley, “the days of Israel bashing at the UN are over” and also stressed that Trump “did more than promise [to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel]. He delivered.”

“Thanks to the strong efforts of Ambassador Friedman, in May of this year we will open the American embassy in Jerusalem,” he said, receiving a round of applause, according to the INN report.

“By finally recognizing Jerusalem,” explained Pence, “the U.S. has chosen fact over fiction. And fact is the only way to achieve peace. The U.S. remains fully committed to achieving peace between Israelis and Palestinians. President Trump made clear we’re not taking any position on final status or contested borders. And as President Trump said, if both sides agree, the United States will support a two-state solution.”

While progress has been made in the fight against the Islamic State (ISIS) in Iraq and Syria, Pence stressed, “We will not allow the defeat of ISIS to become a victory for Iran.”

Iran “aids and abets terrorist groups that sit on Israel’s doorstep,” he continued and, referring to the 2015 deal, said, “Make no mistake about it, this is their last chance. Unless the Iran nuclear deal is fixed in the coming months, the United States of America will withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal immediately,” Pence told the AIPAC assemblage.

“The United States of America will never allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon.”

The nuclear deal, reached in 2015 between Iran on one side and the US, UK, France, Russia, China and Germany on the other, rolled back Tehran’s nuclear enrichment program in exchange for relief from punishing sanctions.

Trump has called the deal “disastrous” and vowed to pull out of it if it is not renegotiated, positions echoed by Pence in his speech.

Pence referred to oft-criticized “sunset” clauses in the deal that run out in several years, saying that, as a consequence, the accord “merely delayed the day” when Iran can obtain a nuclear weapon.

Pence concluded his remarks with the Shehecheyanu prayer and said, “The best days of the United States and Israel are yet to come.”

Taking the rostrum to roaring applause and endless accolades was US Ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley.

As was reported by the JNS site, Haley, whose tenure at the United Nations has been heavily focused on combating the institution’s long-perceived bias towards Israel, began her speech by saying that “when I come to AIPAC, I am with friends. In the United Nations, we sometimes don’t have many friends.”

“In the real world, Israel is a strong country with a strong military,” she said to a raucous crowd that repeatedly gave her standing ovations. “But at the U.N., it’s a different story. Israel does get bullied there. It gets bullied because the countries that don’t like Israel get away with it. That just doesn’t sit well with me.”

Haley also took aim at the Obama administration for abstaining on a late 2016 U.N. Security Council resolution condemning Israeli settlements, calling it a “shameful day” for the United States, adding that “on my watch, that would never happen again.”

“Some people accuse us of favoritism towards Israel,” she said. “There’s nothing wrong with showing favoritism towards an ally; that’s what being an ally is all about. But in all that we’re doing, our approach on Israel is tied to one major idea—the simple concept that Israel must be treated like any other normal country.”

Also on Monday, 400 people attended a Yesha Council event near the AIPAC venue which was targeted towards showing support for Judea and Samaria in the face of the delegitimization and boycotts by adversarial forces.

The event was organized by YESHA Council in partnership with the Ministry of Strategic Affairs and Jordan Valley Municipal Council, according to an INN report.

Minister Gilad Erdan sent a video message while Oded Revivi, Chief Foreign Envoy of the YESHA Council, Education Minister Naftali Bennett, Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked, Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz and Israel’s Consul General to New York Ambassador Dani Dayan where among the VIP speakers.

The event focused on solidifying Israel’s connection to her ancestral heartland and building bridges for peace by supporting the industrial zones of Judea and Samaria which employ thousands of Israeli and Palestinians that work together in peace.

Speaking in a video message from the Knesset Minister Gilad Erdan stated his portfolio’s staunch opposition to the hateful campaign of boycotts, divestment and sanctions against Israel.

“We will oppose any and all forms of the anti-Semitic hate campaign known as BDS and especially those targeting Judea and Samaria. We’re doing this in three ways: One- We’re exposing the true face of the BDS campaign and its real goal- the destruction of Israel as a Jewish state. Two- We’re spreading the truth about Israel, about our historical and legal rights, and about the co-existence between Jews and Arabs in Judea and Samaria. And three- we’re supporting the people of Judea and Samaria, by helping them reach out directly to you, Israel’s supporters around the world.”

Oded Revivi, the Yesha Council’s Chief Foreign Envoy took the position that Israeli settlements in Judea and Samaria do not lie at the root of inherent bellicosity in the region but rather are “an integral part of the solution that will bring peace to the region…”

He added that the immediate implementation of Israeli law on the region of Judea and Samaria will assist in illuminating the rules and regulations with relation to daily life in the region. Mr. Revivi said that such a bold and courageous move would “demonstrate to the world that on a day to day basis we are actively living peacefully and cooperating with our Palestinian neighbors and giving them as well as the Jewish population, clear and legal tools to protect each one’s rights…. “

He also declared that zones marked for industrial growth in Judea and Samaria are living examples of “islands of peace” where Jews and Arabs are standing one alongside the other by the conveyer belt and in other jobs, producing different products,” according to the INN report.

The former Chief Executive Officer of the Yesha Council and the currently serving Education Minister Naftali Bennett stated that the disastrous concept of a two-state solution in achieving peace between Israel and the Palestinians was essentially a moribund option on the geo-political stage.

“The Palestinian state is off the table… it’s done.. now the big question is how we progress…the world will respect a country that respects itself. We cannot ask for recognition in Judea and Samaria without full Israeli recognition and implementation of Israeli law,” MK Bennett declared to thunderous applause.

Subsequent to his address on Monday, Bennett (who represents the Jewish Home party in the Knesset) released a notice describing his security-related meetings with US representatives on the sidelines of AIPAC.

“In the past two days, I have met with Republican and Democratic congressmen to advance Israel’s security and political interests,” stated MK Bennett.

“I thanked Eliot Engel (D-NY) for promoting legislation against Iran’s Revolutionary Guard. Ted Deutsch (D-FL) shared with me efforts to classify Hezbollah as a terrorist organization in Europe.

“I spoke with Joe Wilson (R-SC) about the need to curb Iran’s missile program. Norm Coleman [former Republican Senator for Minnesota] shared with me actions to tighten sanctions against the Iranian nuclear program.

“With Brad Sherman (D-CA) we talked about the Taylor Force Law to halt funding for Palestinian terrorists. Bradley Schneider (D-IL) told me why he returned to Congress after he retired: to stop Iran from arming itself. With Ed Royce (R-CA), chairman of the Congressional Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, we talked about the common interest in preventing Iranian consolidation in Syria.”

The Israeli Minister of Justice Ayelet Shaked said, “The industrial zones in Judea and Samaria and the your bringing their agricultural produce to Washington is significant and tells not only the story of the settlement but also the coexistence that takes place daily in these areas,” according to the INN report.

Yuval Steinitz, the Minister of Energy told the enthusiastic gathering at that when Israel’s enemies launch organized and coordinated boycotts of settlements in Judea and Samaria, that this position is a “boycott of the very essence of the State of Israel.”

He continued: “Israel cannot survive without Judea and Samaria – it will not be possible to defend it strategically. God forbid, the boycott will develop for the entire State of Israel. We must work together, the Jewish world and its supporters against these attempts to boycott” (TPS, TOI & INN)

 

 

Cuomo Switches Gears on Taking Donations from Appointees

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New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has changed his rationale for taking donations from his state appointees. (Photo Credit: Metropolitan Transportation Authority / Patrick Cashin via Wikipedia)

Since reports were released that showed Governor Andrew Cuomo had taken an executive order to allow himself to accept around $890,000 in campaign funding from his appointees to state boards, his administration is now asserting that the order was never intended to be applied to the majority of board appointees.

However, the administrations’ reasoning and its interpretation of the executive order appear to be changing.

Two weeks ago, when administration officials were first asked about the donations, they said that they though the order only prevented salaried state employees and board members who could be fired by the governor from donating.

Then on Tuesday, February 27, after rivals criticized the move, administration officials added, for the first time, to their interpretation, that to be covered by the order board members had to have been required to file financial disclosure reports to the Joint Commission on Public Ethics.

The New York Times reports, “The disclosure requirement, which does not appear in the order — and which Cuomo administration officials did not mention in a 30-minute call last Friday or in several written statements — would dramatically water down the directive, even from the administration’s first interpretation, freeing many more appointees to give cash to the governor’s campaign. So who is covered by the executive order?”

On Friday, February 23, The Times was told by an official from the Cuomo administration that it “shouldn’t be that difficult to come up with examples for you quickly,” noting that the state has more than 550 boards, and in excess of “2,000 appointees, or people serving in those positions.”

However, several days after the request, only three boards were identified as being with the scope of the order: the Albany Convention Center Authority, the Capital Program Review Board at the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and the Occupational Safety and Health Hazard Abatement Board

Executive director of government watchdog group Reinvent Albany John Kaehny told The Times, “Totally illogical, contorted, bizarre and nonsensical. This is not a case where the language is unclear or the intent is unclear.” He added, “For the governor’s office to come up with this up-is-down, down-is-up interpretation is totally not credible, and it undermines public trust in government. And it’s nonsense.”

Cuomo has been criticized by both Democrats and Republicans for his stance. Rivals are demanding that the governor return approximately $890,000 in contributions from state appointees. The Legislature is also being encouraged by government reformers to make the executive order into a law, thereby eliminating any interpretations of it.

In the administration’s view, there is only one appointee who violated the executive order, and $2,250 will be returned to them by Cuomo’s campaign.

By Rachel Shapiro

 

Former NYPD Chief Pleads Guilty in Mayoral Donor Corruption Scandal

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In Manhattan federal court last Thursday, former-Deputy Chief Michael Harrington pled guilty to a charge of misapplication of property valued at $5,000 or more.

On Thursday, March 1, a former Staten Island police official pled guilty to a criminal charge related to a federal investigation into corruption.

In Manhattan federal court, former-Deputy Chief Michael Harrington pled guilty to the charge of misapplication of property valued at $5,000 or more. The plea was part of a deal with prosecutors, in which they recommended that Harrington be sentenced to a maximum of six months in prison. His sentencing is scheduled for June 11.

SI Advance reports, “His lawyer, Andrew Weinstein, noted afterward that bribery charges the 52-year-old Westerleigh resident once faced will be dismissed. Harrington admitted arranging services, including a police escort for a funeral and counterterrorism protection at a midtown Manhattan synagogue at Jewish holidays and for disabled children to observe NYPD training.”

In the end, Weinstein said that the outcome on Thursday was “obviously a horse of a different color” compared to the initial charges, all of which he believes will be dismissed at sentencing by the government. Weinstein said, “We look forward to sentencing, where we intend to present the court with a wealth of information regarding Mr. Harrington’s well-known dedication to his career, family and community.”

According to federal court documents, last year Harrington along with Deputy Inspector James Grant were accused of granting special favors to Brooklyn businessman Jeremy Reichberg in exchange for lavish gifts.

Harrington told the Judge and those present in the courtroom, including his wife Tara, “During this time period I understood Mr. Reichberg to be a leader within the Jewish community, and also considered him a friend.”

April 30 is the set date for the trials of Grant and Reichberg to begin.

Grant, who is also a resident of Staten Island, was stripped of his badge and gun along with Harrington last year. Both men were also reassigned.

Prior to their reassignment, Harrington was the deputy chief of the Housing Bureau and Grant headed the 19th Precinct on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. Records show that Harrington was also a former deputy chief of Manhattan North.

Harrington’s family has an extensive history of serving the city as police officers. 11 of his family members have served or are still serving in the NYPD all across New York City.

By Charles Bernstein

 

Trump Tells NY Lawmakers to Nix Fed Funding for Hudson River Tunnel Project

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President Donald Trump has reportedly instructed Republican legislators in New York to withdraw federal funding for a project to dig new rail tunnels under the Hudson River.

“Mr. Trump has promised to spur ‘the biggest and boldest infrastructure investment in American history,’” reported the New York Times’ Patrick McGeehan and Jeffrey Mays this week. “So his opposition to an established project that is widely considered a solution to one of the nation’s most critical infrastructure needs has confounded even veterans of his own party. Some fear that Mr. Trump is jeopardizing commerce along the Eastern Seaboard simply to spite Senator Charles E. Schumer, the Democratic leader from New York.”

Congressman Peter King of Long Island added, “If the news reports are accurate that he wants to kill it or hold it because he’s mad at Chuck Schumer, that makes no sense. This is essential to the national economy as well as the regional economy.”

As Congressman Charles Schumer noted in a statement, “This project is vital to 50 million people in the northeast corridor and to our American economy, and politics shouldn’t get in the way.” Added Thomas K. Wright, president of the Regional Plan Association, “The ripple effects of the loss of this tunnel are going to be seen through goods movement, through air travel nationally and through the economic productivity of the New York region. This is the national economy we’re talking about.”

“The New York business community considers Gateway our top priority infrastructure project,” said Kathryn S. Wylde, President and Chief Executive Officer for the business group Partnership for New York City, which represents the city’s business leadership and its largest private sector employers, in a statement. “It will provide essential connectivity between the global financial and commercial center in New York City with the rest of America west of the Hudson River. We are confident that the Trump Administration understands that this is a project of national significance and intends to partner with us in ensuring its timely completion.”

As Wylde told the Times in an interview, “President Trump travels frequently between New York and New Jersey and understands that Gateway is critical to connect the rest of the country with the center of the economy and the world financial capital in New York. I have no doubt that regardless of what he says, he knows the importance of this project and he does not want it to fail on his watch.”

New York’s Governor Andrew Cuomo issued a statement in which he said that “Leaders on both sides of the aisle as well as practically every regional stakeholder and transit expert agree these tunnels need to be replaced. The president should do the right thing and stop playing politics with our transportation network, which is the lifeblood of the Northeast region’s economy.”

By Howard M. Riell

 

City Hall Plan For Affordable Housing Grows Faster, Costlier

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“Land costs are going up and that was the most serious issue, at least in my term there,” said Vicki L. Been, the former head of the city’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development under Mr. de Blasio, to the Times. “The city has less and less land to throw into the mix.”

New York City spent $1.1 billion in 2017, the most ever by the city in a single year, to finance affordable housing.

The problem, some say, is that the de Blasio administration chose to do it at a time when the market has grown less favorable due, in part, to changes in the tax code coming out of Washington, DC.

Heedless of the problems, de Blasio continues to aggressively finance the initiative, enlarging spending as well as the targeted number of units 300,000 units.

“The instant that the election happened, you saw changes in the market,” Eric Enderlin, the president of the city’s Housing Development Corporation, which handles the financing aspects of the housing plan, recently told the New York Times. “We have already experienced some gaps that are driven by tax reform. We had to come up with some more money to cover those gaps.”

“Land costs are going up and that was the most serious issue, at least in my term there,” said Vicki L. Been, the former head of the city’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development under Mr. de Blasio, to the Times. “The city has less and less land to throw into the mix.”

Adding low-cost housing has been a City Hall priority. Last fall, de Blasio announced that his administration was on track to build and protect 200,000 affordable homes by 2022, two years ahead of schedule. With the addition of new tools, programs and funding, the City said it would ramp up to securing 25,000 affordable apartments annually by 2021 and beyond — a pace it has never before reached. With that machinery in place, the City said it was taking on a new goal: 300,000 such apartments by 2026, enough for the entire population of Boston or Seattle.

The Mayor unveiled a battery of new programs designed to realize the new goal. The efforts target seniors, homeowners and tenants in existing affordable housing who need protection. To accelerate, the plan requires an additional $150 million per year in the current four-year financial plan. This brings the City’s investment in achieving 100,000 more homes to about $1.3 billion annually over nine years.

“We’ve kept our promises to New Yorkers, and now it’s time to go farther and faster,” de Blasio said. “Like Mayor Koch before us, we are building an engine that will keep families in safe, decent and affordable homes for decades to come. We will keep this a city for seniors, veterans, working families and the middle class.”

Deputy Mayor for Housing and Economic Development Alicia Glen noted that “Every year, we have pushed this plan deeper to reach more people in more neighborhoods. Completing this plan two years early means tens of thousands more families will come home sooner to homes they can afford.”

By Howard M. Riell

 

 

Dean Skelos & Son Seek Relocation  of Retrial to Another State

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Former State Majority Leader Dean Skelos and his son, Adam, will have a retrial for their corruption charges in June.

On Thursday, March 1, former New York State Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos and his son, Adam, said that their claim that secret grand-jury information about them was leaked by the FBI is supported by the recent leaks by the feds of information pertaining to the prosecution of a Las Vegas gambler.

Then On Friday, March 2,

Disgraced former state Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos and his son have asked to relocate their retrial to another state, claiming potential New York jurors have been tainted by unfair media coverage.

Lawyers for the father-son duo requested that the trial — slated to begin June 11 — be moved to Pennsylvania or even farther to a court district that includes Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and Tennessee, according to the Manhattan federal court filing.

“The Skeloses’ guilt is generally presumed in New York and the surrounding region,” as a result of press coverage of the case — including by The Post — the court
papers state.

“Given the three-year media drumbeat calling for the Skeloses’ conviction and swift imprisonment, a drumbeat fueled by government misconduct, it is extremely doubtful that a New York jury will be able to perform this task with an open mind,” the court documents charge.

A “litany of newspaper articles” were cited by Skelos’ defense attorneys, which revealed “virtually every aspect of the grand jury proceedings” against the father-son duo, including the likelihood of their indictment on corruption charges as well as the identity of witnesses and more.

On appeal a new trial was granted to Dean and Adam Skelos by the Manhattan federal court filing, which conceded that Judge Kimba Wood denied the pair a hearing on those claims prior to their 2015 convictions.

However, court papers state that the recent admissions by the government that the FBI’s New York Office “systematically” leaked information about gambler Billy Walters required Judge Wood “to determine the full extent of the government’s misconduct and to fashion an appropriate remedy.”

According to The Post, “Walters was sentenced last year to five years in prison following his jury conviction for scamming $32 million through an inside-trading scheme that included a tip to pro golfer Phil Mickelson, who wasn’t charged.”

June 18, 2018 is the scheduled date for the retrial of Dean and Adam Skelos on the charges of bribery, conspiracy and extortion.

The Manhattan US Attorney’s Office declined to comment.

By Hannah Hayes

 

 

DeBlasio Names New Schools Chancellor After First Choice Resigns

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New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio named Richard Carranza Monday as the new Chancellor of NYC’s public schools. In a tweet, de Blasio extolled Carranza, who served one-and-a-half years the Houston Independent School District’s superintendent, as “an educator’s educator,” who “understands our children.”

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio named Richard Carranza Monday as the new Chancellor of NYC’s public schools. In a tweet, de Blasio extolled Carranza, who served one-and-a-half years the Houston Independent School District’s superintendent, as “an educator’s educator,” who “understands our children.”

“He’s exactly the kind of leader we want and I am so proud that he will be our next NYC Schools Chancellor,” the Mayor wrote. In his announcement Monday, de Blasio said Carranza’s base pay as Chancellor would equal the $345,000 a year he received during his time as Superintendent in Houston.

Alberto Carvalho, De Blasio’s choice to replace outgoing Chancellor Carmen Farina, unexpectedly backed out of the position last week, for reasons which remain unclear. According to a March 2 NY Post report, De Blasio said in an interview with WNYC radio that he believes the resignation, which Carvalho made on live television, may have been connected with the latter’s anxiety over the intense vetting process required for the role.

“I went over every element in the vetting with him personally and reminded him that all these issues would be rehashed,” de Blasio explained in an interview with WNYC radio.

“It was quite explicit there would be scrutiny. It was quite explicit that this is the number one city in the country, the number one education job in the country, and if you’re going to come here, this is the big leagues and expect to get ready for it.”

The selection of Carranza was praised by Farina, who held the post of Chancellor for four years before announcing her retirement in December.

“I am thrilled Richard will be New York City Schools Chancellor,” Farina was quoted as saying by news site Click2Houston. “We are philosophically on the same page and he has a proven track record as an educator with a laser focus on what’s in the classroom.”

As for Carvalho, de Blasio did not conceal his disappointment when speaking with WNYC.

“The people who were blindsided — 1.1 million school children in this city — deserved better,” de Blasio told the station. “If he had wanted to stay there, he should never have traveled here twice to interview at length and have dinner with the first lady and I and all the things he did. But here we are.”

According to ABC 13, Houston Federation of Teachers president Zeph Capo said he couldn’t blame Carranza for accepting the new position.

“Practically speaking, from one professional to another, I don’t blame the man,” Capo said. “He couldn’t turn down that offer that was made to him and Houston’s loss is most certainly going to be New York City’s gain.”