A clandestine undertaking on behalf of Israel, the Jets and the Jews.

 
Justice For Sholom Rubashkin

Sholom Rubashkin was convicted of serious crimes involving financial fraud, for which prosecutors are seeking a life sentence.

It is taken for granted that Rubashkin is definitely guilty. After all, he received a trial in a court of law.

Judge Linda Reade presided - and will sentence Rubashkin. The 60 comments about Judge Reade on The Robing Room - a website with comments about federal judges - tell a disturbing story about the state of the criminal justice system. Here are a few:

-August 18, 2006 - "Dominated by her insecurities. Can be very rude and perfunctory. Seems to take pleasure in trying to embarrass criminal defense attorneys even in front of the jury. A judge to avoid if at all possible."

-September 9, 2006 - "Exceptional harsh sentencer - very pro government - they win everything."

-February 4, 2007 - "Is a puppet for the Department of Injustice. Post Booker has never exercised her discretion to vary on behalf of a defendant- thus creating a de facto unconstitutional sentencing scheme. Does whatever a AUSA wants her to do - she is like a 2nd prosecutor in the courtroom...loves law enforcement- neither they not the US Attorneys can do any wrong - a total rubberstamp for the prosecutors."

-January 16, 2008 - "I am a retired trial lawyer. This judge is strongly biased in favor of the government. There is no way that she is acceptable in a criminal case. I witnessed her wrath on a young drug user and she gave him 35-plus years. This is outrageous and she should be impeached."
posted on 4/28/2010

 
The Way to Challenge Obama’s Mideast Policy

Following is my column in this week's Jewish Press:

Elie Wiesel and Ronald Lauder recently criticized the Obama administration in separately placed newspaper advertisements. Instead of listening to Wiesel and Lauder’s concerns, Haaretz reported, administration officials expressed “harsh criticism” over their ads.

Indeed, the administration has apparently concluded that any criticism is driven by a vast right-wing conspiracy. As one insider explained to Politico, as a result of the Wiesel and Lauder ads, the administration “finally figured out there is a campaign being run against them.”

According to Newsweek, White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel “begins his meetings with Jewish leaders with a warning: if anything leaks, he says, according to several participants in such gatherings, neither he nor anyone else in the White House will ever speak to the leaders again.”

Most in the Jewish establishment are therefore frightened that President Obama might become angry at them. One anonymous “Jewish leader” told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency about the World Jewish Congress headed by Lauder: “For all intents and purposes, the WJC's relationship with the White House ended last week. That's not a relationship that pro-Israel groups can afford to have over the next couple of years.”

Despite their failure to have any influence over the Obama administration, the establishment continues to think that a “relationship with the White House” exists and must be maintained. As a result, criticism of Obama is to be avoided at all costs.

This failure to challenge Obama has allowed administration officials to delude themselves into thinking that only a small, vocal and politically motivated segment of Jews oppose Obama’s Mideast policy. In fact, a new Quinnipiac University poll shows that by a margin of 67 percent to 28 percent, American Jews oppose Obama’s handling of Israel.

The good news is that the grassroots opposition to Obama’s policies is finally finding expression. This led to Sunday’s rally in Manhattan, and to Senator Schumer’s calling administration policy “counterproductive.” Hopefully, the Jewish “leadership” will soon follow the masses.

For opposition to administration policy to be sustained and have any influence, vitriol about Obama must be avoided. One need not be fueled by paranoia to feel a strong sense of unease that Obama just does not like Israel, sees the Palestinians as an oppressed people fighting for liberation, and refuses to consider perspectives about Israel that differ from his mindset.

But this does not mean that Obama is a closet Muslim anti-Semite who wants to see Israel wiped off the face of the earth. Incendiary expressions about the president are wrongful and also foolish.

Instead of counterproductive Obama hatred, coherent arguments about substantive issues must be presented. But unfortunately, we continue to let the other side determine the narrative and frame the matters that are set forth.

The result is that important policy issues have been reduced to mindless talking points and slogans. This reached a new level of absurdity last week, when Sen. Dianne Feinstein said that Scud missiles transferred from Syria to Hezbollah represents “a real point of danger for Israel” and “there’s only one thing that's going to solve it, and that's a two-state solution.”

Supporters of Israel need to pro-actively articulate the realities, like Hamas and Hezbollah’s vows to destroy Israel, and the support they receive from Iran.
We must explain the proximity of Judea and Samaria to central Israel, and how one even missile into Ben Gurion Airport from Arab villages less than six miles east could end flights to and from Israel.

We should point out that Judea and Samaria overwhelmingly consists of mountain after mountain and hill after hill with nothing there – and that the Jewish “settlements” were built on empty land, and did not displace Arab residents.
We allow the world to accept as immutable the idea that Ehud Barak and Ehud Olmert’s offers should be the starting point for negotiations, even though their egregious concessions were rejected by Israeli voters – which elected Likud-led governments within months of both of those offers.

As a result, we let demands for secure and defensible borders and maintaining Jewish rights in Jerusalem be depicted as an extremist and hardline stance – when in fact this remains the mainstream position in Israel.

Most Americans are supportive of Israel and think our president should be too – the Quinnipiac University poll shows that 66 percent feel Obama should be a strong supporter of Israel. But most Americans can hardly be expected to be knowledgeable about Israel’s unique security challenges. It is lamentable that we no longer even try to explain these challenges.

Longtime New York Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan used to say, “Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts.”

We must start stating the facts – before it is too late.
posted on 4/28/2010

 
Jets Thoughts

With the draft over, I'm not too happy with the way the Jets' offseason has shaped up.

I'm fine with the draft picks - though it'd be nice if they'd have had more then four of them.

Heading into an uncapped year, however, they let go of Thomas Jones, Kerry Rhodes, Jay Feely, Alan Faneca and Leon Washington. All of these moves can separately be understood, but together they indicate that the Jets are in cost-saving mode due to the failure of long-term season holders like me to blow thousands for the privilege of paying $150 per ticket. It is notable that Antonio Cromartie and Santonio Holmes - the Jets main additions - have modest salaries for 2010.
posted on 4/24/2010

 
Peter King Makes A Mockery Of The Mock Draft

Tonight, I got home from work, retrieved this week's Sports Illustrated from the mailbox, and took a look at SI's mock draft, by Peter King.

King has the Jets selecting Jahvid Best, a running back - and explains: "This pick makes no sense -- unless you think Leon Washington and LaDainian Tomlinson are short-timers."

Has King ever heard of the Jets #1 RB, Shonn Greene?

I guess this is why experts like King get paid the big bucks and have their commentary read by millions.
posted on 4/21/2010

 
The Wise Men Of Chelm

Last week, Ronald Lauder, president of the World Jewish Congress, published ads critical of the Obama administration's Israel policy.

An unnamed "Jewish leader" told JTA: "For all intents and purposes, the WJC's relationship with the White House ended last week. That's not a relationship that pro-Israel groups can afford to have over the next couple of years."

Meanwhile, Haaretz reports that administration officials are angry about Lauder's ad and the ad placed by Elie Wiesel in leading newspapers.

If you criticize Obama you're persona non grata at the White House. So evidently, our leaders have determined that not criticizing Obama - who has no qualms at all about publicly bashing Israel - is the only way to go. Maintaining a "relationship with the White House" is the key - even without having any influence on its policy.
posted on 4/21/2010

 
The Silence of Our Leaders

My column in this week's Jewish Press criticizes the Jewish members of New York's congressional delegation, the Jewish establishment, and the dangerously misguided policies of the Obama administration.
posted on 4/14/2010

 
Prosecutors Gone Amok

The 21-27 year sentence previously suggested by prosecutors for Sholom Rubashkin apparently wasn't enough. Now, life imprisonment is being sought.

Rubashkin was convicted of serious crimes, for which an appropriate term of imprisonment needs to be meted. Taking away his life would be a more serious crime than any he committed.
posted on 4/12/2010

 
The Guardian Of Israel Slumbers And Sleeps

"I will tell you about my name. My ancestors were guardians of the walls in Chortkov, in Galicia. When they came to the US and said their name in Yiddish — shoimer, guardian — it was written down as Schumer. For as long as I live, and as long as I have the privilege of serving the people of New York, I will be a Shomer Yisrael, a guardian of Israel."

-Senator Charles Schumer, at the recent AIPAC conference.
posted on 4/01/2010

 
Omar Gets It Right



I admit that I was a bit down on the Mets after their 70-92 performance last season, which followed collapses to close the 2007 and 2008 seasons and a loss to an inferior team in the 2006 NLCS.

But after an eventful offseason, there is reason for optimism. The 2010 Mets are going to be serious contenders. Thanks to GM Omar Minaya, they are clearly a championship-caliber team.

Minaya solidified the Mets' outstanding bench by bringing back Alex Cora and Fernando Tatis. He signed Rod Barajas and Henry Blanco to play catcher, providing the Mets with a solid one-two punch behind the plate. He brought in Gary Matthews Jr. and Mike Jacobs, each of whom looks poised to play key roles for the Mets.

Omar did not overlook the pitching staff either. The starting rotation returns intact, which is bad news for the rest of the NL - not to mention the Mets' interleague opponents. In the bullpen, Kelvim Escobar appears ready to pick up right where he left off in Anaheim, while Ryota Igarashi and Hisanori Takahashi will add to the Mets' legacy of selecting Japan's most talented baseball players.

Perhaps Minaya's best move is the one he did not make - bringing back Bobby Valentine. Recognizing that it is impossible to return to the past, and that one must go forward rather than backward, the Mets come back to Queens with Jerry Manuel back in the dugout.

All of this, along with today's sunny skies and warm air, portend a fine season in 2010.
posted on 4/01/2010