A
Florida Family Association supporter happened to look up at the wall
behind the checkout line at the Sam’s Club located at 2021 Brandon
Boulevard in Brandon, Florida. He saw a large photograph of a check
made out from Sam’s Club in the amount of $2,500 payable to the Islamic
Community of Tampa located in the top left prominent position on the
wall. Florida Family Association snapped a cellphone photograph. Photographs indicated that no other non-profit organization received more than $500.
...
The Islamic Community of Tampa is also known as the Al-Qassam mosque. The Military Wing of the Palestinian Hamas is called the Al-Qassam Brigade. InvestigativeProject.org reports“The
mosque, according to Sami Al-Arian, was named after Izzedin al-Qassam.
Al-Qassam, a Syrian killed fighting the British mandate in 1935, ‘is
the main source of inspiration for the Islamic Jihad movement’
Palestinian scholar Ziad Abu Amr wrote in his book, Islamic
Fundamentalism in the West Bank and Gaza. ‘The Islamic Jihad’s
supporters have elevated him almost to a saintly status.’”
...
Sami Al-Arian was indicted in February 2003 on 17 counts under the Patriot Act for allegedly being the leader of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ). In 2006, Al-Arian pleaded guilty
to one count of conspiring to make or receive contributions of funds,
goods or services for the benefit of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ)
and was sentenced to 57 months in prison.
Sami Al-Arian refused to testify before a Federal Grand Jury regarding other Jihad activities. U.S. District Judge James Moody
ruled that Al-Arian must testify. A Virginia District Court held that
Sami Al-Arian had no legal basis to refuse to testify. The court held
him in civil contempt, and imprisoned him on November 16, 2006. Sami
Al-Arian was released from prison on June 27, 2014 after the United
States Department of Justice dropped charges.
North Miami Beach synagogue vandalized by Hamas supporters
Hamas and its supporters haven't just taken their battle against Israel and the Jews to Europe. They've also taken it to the United States. Here's video from a synagogue that was vandalized in North Miami Beach, Florida.
Sarah Silverman's reform rabbi sister makes Obama ad for Florida
Susan Silverman, reform rabbi and older sister of Sarah Silverman, has made an ad for President Obama. Unlike Sarah's ads, it does not feature sexual innuendo. In fact, you won't even see Susan Silverman in it.
Let's go to the videotape.
Color me unimpressed. The sanctions against Iran happened despite Obama and not because of him. Iron Dome was a program that was begun during the Bush administration. All Obama did was continue it. Big deal.
In the meantime, Obama has treated Prime Minister Netanyahu like a leper and has put unprecedented pressure on Israel. Obama must go.
I wrote a few weeks ago about the ads featuring only Israeli Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that were running in targeted markets in
Florida, courtesy of the c4 Secure America Now.
The group is going up with another spot of the same variety starting
tomorrow, on broadcast in West Palm Beach, Fort Myers and cable in
Miami, with about $300,000 already placed, the group's officials said.
The new spot is cued off the vice presidential debate last week.
"Several Secure America Now supporters who have known Netanyahu for
many years were quite surprised to hear Joe Biden brag about being such a
great pal of the Prime Minister," said the spot's producer, Nelson
Warfield. "They thought Florida voters might like to hear directly from
Biden's old buddy about the need to finally get tough with Iran."
A newly published survey from Florida - a 'swing state' that is deemed 'must win' for Obama - has Mitt Romney ahead by seven points.
The survey conducted this week found 51 percent of likely Florida
voters supporting Romney, 44 percent backing Obama and 4 percent
undecided. That's a major shift from a month ago when the same poll
showed Obama leading 48 percent to 47 percent — and a direct result of
what Obama himself called a "bad night" at the first debate.
The debate prompted 5 percent of previously undecided voters and 2
percent of Obama backers to move to Romney. Another 2 percent of Obama
supporters said they are now undecided because of the debate.
"There's no question in my mind that debate made people stand up and
pay attention, and it really wiped away any questions people had about
Romney, whether they were undecided or soft for Obama," said Brad Coker
of Mason-Dixon Polling & Research, which conducted the poll for the Times and its media partners.
Across the board, from who is better suited to improve the economy, to
who will protect Medicare, to looking out for the middle-class, to
handling foreign policy, likely Florida voters now favor the former
Massachusetts governor over the president.
"It's a very big shift since the debate, and where the shifts are
taking place are very, very interesting because they are the types of
shifts you see in Florida when something starts to break one way or
another," said Coker, likening it to when Ronald Reagan shot past Jimmy
Carter in 1980.
...
Likewise, Obama's lead among likely women voters in Florida fell from
15 percentage points last month to just 2 points, 49 percent for Obama
and 47 percent for Romney.
Obama's once 11 point lead among likely independent voters had cascaded
into a 13 point lead for Romney this week, 52 percent to 39 percent.
The poll found little change among Florida youngest voters, 18-34, or
oldest voters, 65 and up. But those ages 35 to 64, who had been evenly
divided a month ago, moved dramatically to the Republican nominee.
Romney now has a nine point lead among voters age 35-49 and a 15 point
lead among those between 50 and 64.
Especially ominous were the numbers for Hispanic voters, a demographic
where the Obama campaign is banking on an advantage of at least 15
percentage points. The poll showed 44 percent of likely Hispanic voters
favoring Obama and 46 for Romney, though the margin of error is higher
with that smaller group of voters.
"We ran away from other countries in search of a more traditional
United States," said Coral Gables resident Mary Gonzalez, who immigrated
from Venezuela. "I think with the current president, the United States
moves to (the left). And with Romney, I believe he can return the United
States to its traditional course."
The bottom line? Obama appears to be in serious trouble in America's
biggest battleground state. He has two debates and 25 days to turn it
around, but the poll points to a race that had been close and stable for
months shifting significantly toward the Republican nominee.
"You cant say it's over, but if nothing changes — no major gaffes, no
big stories that come out of nowhere, relatively equal debate
performances where nobody really outdoes the other — I think Florida is
going to fall into the Romney column," Coker said. "I think once voters
fall off of Obama it's going to be harder for Obama to bring them em
back."
Republican Karen Harrington, who is running for the Congressional seat held by Dumb Dumb Debbie Wasserman Schultz, mocked her opponent on Monday night during an appearance sponsored by the Republican Jewish Coalition.
Let's go to the videotape.
More about the evening, which also featured John Bolton and Allen West, here.
Obama doesn't have enough 'Jewish vote' to win Florida
It would be sweet if the Jews of Florida cost Barack Hussein Obama his reelection. My own view is that one of the selling points that former Florida Governor Jeb Bush may be using in touting Senator Marco Rubio (R-Fl) as a Vice Presidential candidate (Hat Tip: Memeorandum) may be Rubio's ability to sway the Jewish vote in Florida to the Republican side. Whatever it is the Republicans are doing, it seems to be working. If the election were held today, President Obama does not have enough Jewish votes to win Florida.
One of Obama's biggest hurdles: capturing Florida's Jewish voters. The president, polls show, has about 60-65 percent of the Jewish vote, but, says [Democratic pollster Doug] Schoen, if Obama does not win “a full 75 percent...it could, in fact, be decisive.”
The state is “effectively deadlocked,” said Schoen, the author of “Hopelessly Divided: The New Crisis in American Politics and What It Means for 2012 and Beyond.”
“Jews are necessarily torn, because they see the president as somebody who, aspirationally, has committed himself to Israel,” he said. “At the same time, there have been concerns about the settlement policy and also about the nature of his commitment to do whatever it takes in Iran.
“Now I would tell you he has provided probably more advanced weapons systems to Israel than any president before, but – nonetheless – there are these nagging concerns in the Jewish community that just haven’t gone away.”
Read the whole thing and watch the video (which I could not embed). Every vote is going to count. Especially in Florida.
Adam Kredo reports that some Jewish South Floridians - including Democrats - are concerned about the way that the region's synagogues are being used for partisan politics.
“I see a trend here in South Florida where some synagogues of late are only presenting prominent speakers who represent partisan policy perspectives, and other points of view are silenced,” Florida Rabbi Sam Intrada, a self-described lifelong Democrat, told the Free Beacon. “The liberal idea of pluralism is grossly lacking in these situations.”
“This trend to keep out centrist, moderate, mainstream concerns about Israel and stifling discussion about them is very painful to me,” he added, pointing out that “many people in these synagogues are troubled about the situation.”
“I do not know who is applying pressure to prohibit such discussion, but it is a travesty,” Intrada said.
...
Wasserman Schultz gave a speech to Reform Congregation Kol Ami Emanu-El in Plantation, Fla., during Rosh Hashana last year, according to a temple representative. She made an appearance at the Aventura Turnberry Jewish Center in mid-April.
Sources present at the Aventura religious service say that it featured pro-Obama talking points and failed to offer an opposing viewpoint.
Wasserman Schultz “spent time talking about the Obama-Israel relationship,” said Eytan Laor, a Miami resident who attends services at the Aventura Turnberry Jewish Center. “This is an effort to reassure these [Jews] who are on the fence, who have concerns that [the president] is not a friend to Israel.”
Wasserman Schultz told the crowd, “Behind closed doors, Israel has had no better friend then Barack Obama,” Laor recalled.
The event prompted concerns that “the alternative side is not being given a chance to talk,” Laor said. “There’s not really any debate allowed. The only ones allowed to speak are members of the administration.”
Laor cited his unsuccessful months-long attempt to bring Rep. Allen West to the religious center for a discussion with Holocaust survivors.
The B’nai Torah debacle from earlier this month, however, is perhaps the most notable comingling of religion and politics.
During an event featuring Ambassador Susan Rice, a delegation of Jews, some of them elderly, were removed from the synagogue for balking at Rice’s pro-Obama politicking.
The senior leadership of B’nai Torah has long been tied to the upper echelons of team Obama and the Democratic Party.
The synagogue’s senior rabbi, David Steinhardt, is said to be an Obama booster and defender of his policies towards Israel.
B’nai Torah is also the spiritual home of Mark and Nancy Gilbert, who are closely tied to the White House and Wasserman Shultz and whose daughter is a Democratic National Committee staffer who posted a provocative photograph captioned “Jewbags” and “Jew Cash Money Team” on Facebook.
The Gilberts and the synagogue’s executive director did not respond to requests for comment.
Read the whole thing. My own hope is that these strong arm tactics will result in a backlash against the Democrats. Comments - particularly from those on the ground in South Florida (I know there are some of you) are welcome.
In an earlier post, I reported that through her overbearing politics, Debbie Wasserman Schultz had managed to bring about the severing of a 70-year long relationship between the family of the former President of Miami's Temple Sinai and the Temple. Now, there has been an outcry from Temple Sinai's membership, and as a result, Wasserman Schultz's scheduled Friday night appearance may be canceled (Hat Tip: Bad Blue).
Mr. Tate told the Shark Tank that the oldest member of the Temple- a 94 year-old woman, along with many other members have sided with him and have collectively resigned from the Temple. Temple Israel was constructed 90 years ago.
The President wants the Jewish people to believe that he is in favor of peace, but what he really wants is to give the Palestinians what they want, a two-state solution that divides Jerusalem. President Obama went to Cairo, Egypt to give a speech, yet he has never been to Israel”.- Stanley Tate
Several of South Florida’s grassroots organizations are planning to protest Congresswoman Wasserman Schultz’s May 25th appearance at Temple Israel in North Miami. Wasserman Schultz is still currently scheduled to address the congregation at 7:30pm.
Debbie Wasserman Schultz's partisan politics and openness to discussion have brought about the end of a 70-year family relationship between a North Miami Beach synagogue and one of its most respected members (Hat Tip: Bad Blue).
Wasserman Schultz and Tate were both scheduled to address the Temple Israel congregation regarding U.S.-Israeli relations, but apparently Wasserman Schultz couldn’t handle the fact that Tate would undoubtedly contradict her partisan talking points- so much for “diversity” when it comes to Debbie allowing equal time to opposing points of view. In what can only be described as an act of political spite, Wasserman Schultz strongly voiced her objection to Tate’s scheduled address directly to the Temple’s Board of Trustees, and based on her objections and political pressure, the Trustees decided to scrap Tate’s address to the congregation.
In a recent letter sent out by Mr. Tate to the Temple’s congregation, Tate stated that he would not be speaking at the forthcoming May 25th services-
I have been told by the Temple Israel Board of Trustees, that in no uncertain terms, I am not welcome, nor am I desired to speak on the bema (dais), nor does the Temple want me in any way to address the attendees on the evening of May 25th, after the Shabbat Services, even though the other invited speaker will be giving her politically motivated remarks on the topic of “Maintaining a Strong U.S. – Israel Relationship.” – Stanley Tate
Tate also stated that the Board of Trustees held a “special” meeting on May 14th where the majority of the board decided not to let him address the congregation.
During a phone interview with Mr. Tate, the former founder of the Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC) said that Wasserman Schultz told board members, “Stanley cannot be allowed to speak”, and that “no other speaker can speak in opposition before or after her.”
Tate said that “they are going to try to prevent me to speak,” and also indicated that the “Temple Israel is putting its tax-exempt status at jeopardy” by permitting Wasserman Schultz to address the congregation.
Of course, Tate is right, but we all know that so long as Hussein Obama remains President, the IRS is and will be a political organization, and no synagogue will lose its tax exemption for supporting and promoting the Democratic party and its Leftist candidates.
Yet another illustration of what's wrong with America's Jewish leadership. The Anti-Defamation League - supported by your charitable contributions - helped to kill a bill banning Sharia law in the Florida State Senate.
Let's go to the videotape (Hat Tip: Jack W via Bare Naked Islam).
Here's Marco Rubio's victory speech on Tuesday night. It's something very special. The rabbis speak highly of a man who 'knows his place' - one who doesn't get full of himself no matter how great his accomplishments. My sense from listening to his speeches is that the rabbis' description fits Marco Rubio.
I am an Orthodox Jew - some would even call me 'ultra-Orthodox.' Born in Boston, I was a corporate and securities attorney in New York City for seven years before making aliya to Israel in 1991 (I don't look it but I really am that old :-). I have been happily married to the same woman for thirty-five years, and we have eight children (bli ayin hara) ranging in age from 13 to 33 years and nine grandchildren. Four of our children are married! Before I started blogging I was a heavy contributor on a number of email lists and ran an email list called the Matzav from 2000-2004. You can contact me at: IsraelMatzav at gmail dot com
